Barcelona Star and Jude Bellingham Competing for the 2023 European Golden Boy Award

Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde Among Favorites for European Golden Boy Award

Article: Barcelona has enjoyed remarkable success in recent years when it comes to the European Golden Boy award. In 2021, Pedri claimed the prestigious accolade, followed by Gavi in 2022.

This year, Barcelona is aiming to make it a hat-trick of wins, with the 2023 European Golden Boy voting currently in progress. The Catalan club boasts three strong contenders for the award: Alejandro Balde, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal, all vying for recognition as Europe’s top young talent.

According to MD, Alejandro Balde is considered one of the favorites to secure the award. The 19-year-old left-back made a significant impact last season, becoming Barcelona’s first-choice in his position and displacing the iconic Jordi Alba, who had held the role since joining from Valencia in 2012.

Balde faces stiff competition from Jude Bellingham, his El Clasico rival, who has enjoyed a sensational start to his career at Real Madrid. Both players are expected to finish among the top three candidates when voting concludes, though the ultimate winner remains uncertain.

If Alejandro Balde were to clinch the European Golden Boy award, Barcelona would boast an impressive quartet of winners in their squad, including Pedri, Gavi, and Joao Felix, who received the honor in 2019. This wealth of emerging talent underscores the quality of young players at the disposal of Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez.