★ World Cup 2026Best Young Player Award Odds
The Round of 16 is done and the field is down to the eight quarter-finalists. Lamine Yamal (Spain) is the clear favourite at around 11/8, with Désiré Doué, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Pau Cubarsí next. Endrick, Lennart Karl, Yan Diomande, Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız are all out because their nations were eliminated, so their odds no longer apply. Full quarter-finals field, player-by-player analysis and where we see the value.
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What Is the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award?
The Best Young Player award is FIFA’s prize for the standout youngster of the tournament. To be eligible a player must have been born on or after 1 January 2005, and the winner is chosen by FIFA’s Technical Study Group rather than a public vote. Because the panel weighs the whole tournament, a deep run with your nation matters: the award has a clear team-success bias, and no player from an eliminated side has ever taken it.
That is why the market has narrowed sharply now that the Round of 16 is done. Only players whose nation is still in the last eight can realistically win, and Lamine Yamal leads the way. He is eligible for this award and for the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player overall, so a strong Spain run could see him feature in both markets.
Quarter-Final Market Update — July 2026
The field is now the eight quarter-finalists: France, Spain, England, Argentina, Belgium, Morocco, Norway and Switzerland. Lamine Yamal (Spain) is the clear favourite around 11/8, with Spain unbeaten and yet to concede. Behind him, Désiré Doué (France), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco), Pau Cubarsí (Spain), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Antonio Nusa (Norway) and Nico O’Reilly (England) are all still live.
The knockouts have cleared several fancied names off the board. Endrick (Brazil), Lennart Karl (Germany), Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast), Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız (Türkiye) are all out because their nations were eliminated. They can no longer win, so ignore any live odds you still see against their names.
World Cup 2026 Best Young Player Odds
Last 8 · To 8 Jul| # | Player | Nation | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamine Yamal | Spain | 11/8 |
| 2 | Désiré Doué | France | 5/1 |
| 3 | Ayyoub Bouaddi | Morocco | 11/2 |
| 4 | Pau Cubarsí | Spain | 13/2 |
| 5 | Johan Manzambi | Switzerland | 7/1 |
| 6 | Antonio Nusa | Norway | 17/2 |
| 7 | Nico O’Reilly | England | 10/1 |
| 8 | Warren Zaïre-Emery | France | 16/1 |
| 9 | Kobbie Mainoo | England | 16/1 |
| 10 | Leny Yoro | France | 25/1 |
| — | Endrick | Brazil | Eliminated |
| — | Lennart Karl | Germany | Eliminated |
| — | Yan Diomande | Ivory Coast | Eliminated |
| — | Arda Güler | Türkiye | Eliminated |
| — | Kenan Yıldız | Türkiye | Eliminated |
Odds are indicative to 8 July 2026 and move daily. Confirm the live price and player eligibility with your bookmaker before betting. Eliminated players cannot win the award whatever price a book still shows.
Player-by-Player Analysis
Yamal is the outright favourite and our top pick. At 18 (born 13 July 2007) he is the youngest name in the field, yet he is also the Golden Ball favourite, which tells you how central he is to Spain. His side are unbeaten and yet to concede a goal, and their next test is Belgium in our Spain v Belgium preview. As long as Spain keep winning, he is the name to beat here.
Doué is the value each-way pick. France are flying, and he arrives at the tournament on the back of scoring twice in the 2025 Champions League final, so the big-game temperament is proven. France face Morocco next in our France v Morocco preview, and if they go deep his attacking output could push him past several of the names above him.
Bouaddi is the dark horse. A deep-lying midfielder aged 18, he has helped Morocco reach the quarter-finals, and the TSG has rewarded central midfielders before with Pogba in 2014 and Enzo Fernández in 2022. If Morocco spring a result against France, his stock rises quickly.
Cubarsí is a centre-back born in 2007 and a key part of Spain’s clean-sheet run. The caveat is historical: defenders have never won the modern award. If Spain go all the way without conceding, the panel may finally break that pattern, but it would be a first.
Manzambi scored in the group stage and Switzerland have reached the last eight, which keeps him live. Switzerland are the outsiders of the eight, so he likely needs another deep run and a goal or two to force his way into the panel’s thinking.
Nusa is a direct winger enjoying Norway’s first-ever quarter-final. Attackers dominate this award, so the profile fits, and if Norway extend their run he is well placed to catch the eye.
O’Reilly is the Manchester City man breaking through, an inverted full-back who fits Tuchel’s system. Full-backs are a tough sell for a forward-leaning award, but his versatility and England’s route keep him in the each-way conversation.
Mainoo is a longer indicative price at 16/1. A composed central midfielder, he fits the Pogba and Enzo Fernández template of a winner from the middle of the park, but he needs both minutes and an England run to trouble the shorter prices.
Notable Players Missing Out
Some bookmaker lists still show players who cannot win the 2026 award. Do not back either of the groups below: a player whose nation is out cannot win, and a player born before 1 January 2005 was never eligible in the first place.
Endrick (Brazil), Lennart Karl (Germany), Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast), and Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız (Türkiye). All were fancied before the tournament, but their nations have been knocked out, so they can no longer win the award.
Jude Bellingham, Alejandro Baldé, Rayan Cherki, Nico Paz, João Neves, Savinho and Alejandro Garnacho are all excellent young players, but each was born before 1 January 2005 and so is outside the age cut-off. They appear in some bookmaker lists in error; do not back them for this market.
Best Young Player Betting Strategy
A few principles we apply to the Best Young Player market at the quarter-final stage:
- Make Yamal the primary pick. He is the favourite for a reason, and you can correlate the bet with a Spain outright and the Golden Ball, so a strong Spain run pays across all three.
- Take Doué as the value each-way. At 5/1 with France flying, he is the best price-to-chance play on the board if you want an alternative to the favourite.
- Keep Bouaddi as the dark horse. At 11/2 a midfielder from a surviving Morocco side is a sensible small-stakes each-way dart.
- Strike off the eliminated names. Endrick, Karl, Diomande, Güler and Yıldız are all out with their nations and cannot win, so any price against them is dead money.
- Never back an ineligible player. Always confirm a player was born on or after 1 January 2005 before staking, whatever a bookmaker list shows.
Historical Best Young Player Winners
| Year | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Enzo Fernández | Argentina |
| 2018 | Kylian Mbappé | France |
| 2014 | Paul Pogba | France |
| 2010 | Thomas Müller | Germany |
| 2006 | Lukas Podolski | Germany |
| 2002 | Landon Donovan | USA |
Four of the last six winners were forwards or attackers. The exceptions, Pogba (2014) and Enzo Fernández (2022), were central midfielders. Defenders have never won the modern award.
More World Cup 2026 Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the World Cup Best Young Player award?
Any player born on or after 1 January 2005 is eligible. The winner is decided by FIFA’s Technical Study Group across the whole tournament, and no player from an eliminated nation has ever won it.
Who is favourite for the 2026 Best Young Player award?
Lamine Yamal of Spain is the clear favourite at around 11/8. Spain are unbeaten and yet to concede, and Yamal is also the favourite for the Golden Ball.
Can a player win both the Golden Ball and Best Young Player?
Yes, in principle a young player can win both, and Yamal is eligible for each. In practice they usually go to different players: in 2018 Kylian Mbappé won Best Young Player while Luka Modrić took the Golden Ball.
What positions usually win the Best Young Player award?
Forwards and attackers dominate: four of the last six winners were attacking players. The exceptions, Paul Pogba in 2014 and Enzo Fernández in 2022, were central midfielders. Defenders have never won the modern award.
Which fancied young players are out of the award now?
Endrick (Brazil), Lennart Karl (Germany), Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast), Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız (Türkiye) are all out because their nations were eliminated. They can no longer win, so ignore any live odds you still see against their names.
What is the best each-way Best Young Player strategy?
Make Yamal the primary pick and correlate it with a Spain outright and the Golden Ball. For value, Désiré Doué of France at 5/1 is the standout each-way alternative with France flying.
