The Best Young Player Award matters because it often identifies the next global star before the wider football world fully catches up. It sits between talent and arrival: young enough to surprise people, but already strong enough to decide World Cup matches.
This guide explains what the award is, who has won it, how the eligibility usually works, and which young players are worth watching before 2026 begins.
Quick Answer
The most recent winner is Enzo Fernandez, who took the award for Argentina in 2022. FIFA's recent award history says the prize goes to the best player at the tournament who is at most 21 years old, but the exact 2026 eligibility cutoff is yet to be confirmed.
What Is the Best Young Player Award
FIFA's own World Cup young-player history page says the award is given to the best player in the tournament who is at most 21 years old. That same FIFA page also says fans vote for the winner on FIFA's official website.
The key point for 2026 is timing. FIFA has not yet publicly confirmed the tournament-specific age cutoff date, so the exact eligibility wording for Canada, Mexico and the USA is still yet to be confirmed.
Even so, the award usually rewards players who are already trusted in major roles rather than late-game prospects who only play short minutes.
All-Time Best Young Player Winners
Records and Notable Facts
Most wins by one player
No player has won the men's Best Young Player Award twice. That is expected because the prize is age-limited, so every winner usually has only one realistic chance to take it.
The list is therefore more about generations than repeat dominance.
Youngest and oldest winners
The winners list shows how wide the age range can be inside the same award. Kylian Mbappe won it as a teenager in 2018, while Enzo Fernandez was already 21 at Qatar 2022.
That makes the award less about raw age and more about whether a young player is already trusted to carry real tournament weight.
Countries with most wins
Germany and France share the lead with two winners each. Germany has Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller, while France has Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe.
Argentina moved onto the board in 2022 with Enzo Fernandez, and a strong 2026 run could bring another country level with the leaders.
World Cup 2026 Contenders
If FIFA keeps the recent age-based pattern, Lamine Yamal and Desire Doue will be among the strongest names in the early conversation. UEFA confirmed Yamal won the 2024 Kopa Trophy and UEFA EURO 2024 Young Player of the Tournament, while Doue was named the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season after a major breakout year.
The exact 2026 eligibility line is still yet to be confirmed, so the wider shortlist will depend on FIFA's final tournament wording. Until that arrives, these projections should be read as informed early contenders rather than a closed official list.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is FIFA's prize for the best young player at the tournament.
Enzo Fernandez won the award for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA's recent award guide says the winner is at most 21 years old, but the exact 2026 eligibility cutoff is yet to be confirmed.
Lamine Yamal and Desire Doue are among the strongest early names if FIFA keeps the recent age-based approach.
Conclusion
The Best Young Player Award is usually where the next era announces itself. Some winners become all-time greats, others simply use the World Cup as the moment that changes their status forever.
That makes the 2026 version especially worth tracking. The next winner will almost certainly leave the tournament with a completely different level of global attention.