Brighton and Hove Albion Nigerian summer signing Zadok Yohanna has been included in the top 100 of the 2026 European Golden Boy rankings.

The list was released by Italian daily sport publication, Tuttosport (organisers of the prestigious annual award) and ranks players under the age of 21 based on their performances and achievements in 2026 so far.

Yohanna, 19, who recently joined Premier League club from Swedish outfit AIK Stockholm this summer on a five-year contract running until June 2031, is ranked 80th in the initial list of 100 candidates for the award which will be decided in November.

Yamal, Estevao, Cubarsi, Lewis-Skelly make the cut

Also in the list are Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal, England and Arsenal left-back Miles Lewis-Skelly, Brazil’s Estevao who plays for Chelsea, Warren Zaire-Emery of France and Paris Saint-Germain, Spain and Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, Ousmane Diomande of Sporting Lisbon and Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille, Lennart Karl of Bayern Munich and Germany and Jorrel Hato of Chelsea and the Netherlands.

Technically, the list is headed by Yamal, but he is ineligible to win having already claimed the award in 2024, with the rules preventing repeat winners.

Yohanna’s impressive performance for AIK

Yohanna made a significant impression at AIK before his move to England, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 18 appearances.

His impressive performance saw him named in the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 Unity Cup, though AIK did not release him as the tournament fell outside FIFA’s international match window.

Past winners of the Golden Boy Award

The Golden Boy award has been dominated historically by players representing Spanish clubs, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero, Isco, Pedri, Gavi and Jude Bellingham among former recipients.

Overall, Spain has produced four winners, the most of any country, ahead of France with three, while Argentina, Brazil, England, the Netherlands and Portugal have each produced two winners across the award’s history.