Brighton's Yohanna Earns Spot in 2026 Golden Boy Top 100 Rankings

Brighton & Hove Albion youngster Zadok Yohanna has been recognised as one of Europe's brightest emerging talents after securing a place in the 2026 European Golden Boy Top 100 rankings.

The annual list, compiled by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport, highlights the best footballers under the age of 21 based on their performances throughout the year.

Yohanna, who recently completed a move from Swedish club AIK to Brighton, is ranked 80th among the initial 100 nominees.

The 19-year-old Nigerian joined the Premier League side on a long-term contract after an impressive spell in Sweden, where he established himself as one of the league's standout young players.

His performances attracted interest from several European clubs before Brighton secured his signature.

Yohanna is joined on the shortlist by some of football's most exciting prospects, including Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, Chelsea winger Estevao, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery, Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí and Chelsea's Dutch defender Jorrel Hato.

Although Yamal tops the rankings, the Spanish international is not eligible to win the award again after claiming the prize in 2024, as the competition does not allow previous winners to receive the honour twice.

Before completing his move to England, Yohanna enjoyed an outstanding campaign with AIK, registering five goals and four assists in 18 appearances.

His performances also earned him a call-up to the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 Unity Cup, although he was unable to participate after his club declined to release him outside the FIFA international window.

The final Golden Boy winner will be announced later this year following further evaluations of the nominees' performances.