Reporters from throughout Europe vote annually for the young player they believe to be Europe's best performer, awarding him the Golden Boy award. Nominees must be less than 21 years old and be active in a top-flight European league.
Barcelona's Gavi won the 2022's edition. The Golden Boy Web award is given in addition to the main award and is chosen by the general public over the internet. Meanwhile, soccer players under the age of 21 are also recognized for their outstanding performance with the Kopa Trophy awarded by France Football.
It is named after the former French footballer Raymond Kopa, and past winners of the Ballon d'Or vote on the winner. While the Golden Boy award is reserved for European players alone, the Kopa Trophy is given to individuals who play in countries outside of Europe as well.
Why is Youssoufa Moukoko in the eye of age fraud controversy?
Youssoufa Moukoko, a rising star player for Borussia Dortmund, has purportedly been implicated in age fraud allegations that have rocked Cameroonian sport, prompting a notice from the French weekly magazine France Football and the general public. German authorities are investigating reports that Moukoko, who was born in Yaounde, Cameroon, and was adopted in 2014, is really 22 years old.
The Germany Qatar 2022 star was previously assumed to be 18 years old, thus holding the records for youngest Bundesliga debuting and youngest scored. According to reports out of Germany, however, Moukoko's birth certificate with the name Yousouffa Mohamadou and dated the year 2000 has just been unearthed.
Apparently, the player falsified his birth certificate, according to a report from an Austrian newspaper named Laoloa. In fact, the allegations surfaced after Cameroonian soccer had been plagued by accusations of age falsification. Recently, 21 of their U-17 players failed an age test, necessitating a complete roster overhaul.
While this was going on, it is speculated that Moukoko's father sent a journalist a birth certificate for his son, which incorrectly said that Moukoko was born in 2000. It wasn't the first time, however, that he had been accused of lying about his age. Borussia Dortmund's coaches argued about his age in 2017, but the German FA ruled against any wrongdoing.
