The Best Young Player Award matters because it often identifies the 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 what is confirmed so far before the 2026 tournament 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.
Recent winners from champion teams
The last two winners, Kylian Mbappe in 2018 and Enzo Fernandez in 2022, both finished the tournament as world champions. That is a useful reminder that this award usually follows players who are central to teams making the deepest runs.
Even earlier winners such as Thomas Muller and Paul Pogba came from sides that reached the last four or better, which keeps underlining the same pattern.
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 Names to Watch
Lamine Yamal starts near the top of any early watchlist because FIFA has already highlighted him as one of the headline stars for the 2026 tournament, and he will still be a teenager for most of the event. Desire Doue also belongs in the early discussion after winning the Best Young Player award at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Kenan Yildiz is another player worth tracking after his breakout FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign. The main caution is that FIFA has not yet published the final 2026 eligibility wording, so any pre-tournament shortlist should be treated as an early watchlist rather than an official field.
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, Desire Doue and Kenan Yildiz are among the early names to watch, but FIFA has not yet confirmed the final 2026 eligibility wording.
Conclusion
The Best Young Player Award is usually where the 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