The Ballon d’Or is the big brother of the Golden Boy Trophy, which rewards the best player under the age of 21. This season, the list includes three Paris Saint-Germain players, the symbol of a Parisian club that is reinventing itself. Indeed, the list, relayed by Fabrizio Romano, includes the names of Warren Zaïre-Emery (18 years old), Désiré Doué (19) and Joao Neves (20).
All three have no chance of winning, but they’re there, they’re part of the squad, and that just goes to show the turnaround PSG have undertaken.
While Zaïre-Emery and Neves are coming off a full season, Désiré Doué is a little less so. The former Rennes man doesn’t yet have the baggage of the other two, but his presence is a reminder that he’s a promising player and shouldn’t be buried so quickly.
Zaïre-Emery and Neves have grown up, both at club and international level, and have a rightful place in this list, where Lamine Yamal (17 ans, FC Barcelone) is the overwhelming favourite.
