Four Nigeria-eligible players including Nwaneri and Ahanor shortlisted for 2026 Golden Boy

Four Nigeria-eligible players have been named among the 100 nominees for the 2026 Golden Boy award, presented annually to the best under-21 footballer playing in Europe.

Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri and Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, who are both on the radar of Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, are among the nominees for the prestigious accolade.

Also included on the shortlist are Angers SCO forward Prosper Peter and Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, who made history as the youngest player to score in a Premier League match at Anfield.

While Peter and Ahanor are provisionally cap-tied to France and Italy respectively, Ngumoha and Nwaneri have already featured in competitive matches for England’s youth teams.

Among the four players, Ahanor is the highest ranked at 29th, with Nwaneri, Ngumoha and Prosper placed 38th, 41st and 80th respectively.

The winner of the 2026 Golden Boy award will be announced in December following a vote by journalists from leading European media outlets.

No player of Nigerian heritage has won the Golden Boy award since its inception in 2003.

Previous winners include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal.