Four Nigerian-Born Stars Shortlisted for 2026 Golden Boy Award

Four Super Eagles-eligible talents have been nominated among 100 candidates for the 2026 Golden Boy award. Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri and Atalanta’s Honest Ahanor headline the Nigeria-eligible group. Angers forward Prosper Peter and Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha also make the cut. Ahanor leads the quartet in 29th place, with Nwaneri 38th, Ngumoha 41st and Peter 80th. Peter and Ahanor are provisionally tied to France and Italy. Ngumoha and Nwaneri have already appeared in competitive matches for England’s youth sides. No player of Nigerian heritage has ever won the Golden Boy award. The 2026 winner will be decided in December by a vote of leading European journalists. Past recipients include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal.

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.