The 2023 Golden Boy Index was announced on Tuesday morning and it's already sparked debates over which youngster should claim the prestigious award.
The likes of Harvey Elliott, Rico Lewis and Alejandro Garnacho were all named in the top 20 for the 2023 Index - which is decided after a round of voting from a collection of newspapers.
The players that make the shortlist are also given a 'Golden Boy Rating' - judged off of sporting performance, playing time and club strength - which helps sort them in a rough order prior to the event taking place.
The detailed methodology helps identify a deserved winner for the award - with the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Gavi all claiming it in recent years.
And so, here, Mail Sport takes a closer look at the top ten candidates from the 2023 Golden Boy Index.
10. Giorgio Scalvini (Golden Boy Rating: 80.4)
Kicking off the Golden Boy Index's Top 10 shortlist is Atalanta and Italy centre-back Giorgio Scalvini.
The 19-year-old has become a regular feature for the Serie A side over the last two seasons and has made 55 appearances in total since the start of 2021.
The teenager has become known as one of the most exciting prospects in Italy after demonstrating his impressive defensive abilities and on-the-ball technique.
Scalvini's scintillating performances for Atalanta have seen him earn four senior appearances for the Italy national team.
9. Devyne Rensch (80.6)
Netherlands international Devyne Rensch is one of two full-backs to make the Golden Boy Index's shortlist and, if you're aware if his skills, you'll know why.
The 20-year-old has been a mainstay within the Ajax first-team since breaking through in 2020 and he hasn't looked back since.
With seven goals and five assists from 92 appearances, Rensch has become known as one of the most promising full-backs in European football.
He's certainly a name to keep an eye out for as, with two years left on his current deal, he could likely become a highly-sought after player in the future.
8. Benjamin Sesko (80.7)
For the Football Manager fanatics, you'll probably already be aware of the talent boasted by Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenian striker has been prolific for RB Salzburg - scoring 29 goals in 79 games - and it's seen him earn a future move to sibling club RB Leipzig.
That news came as a bitter disappointment for Manchester United, who had been linked with a move for the Slovenian international.
The 20-year-old has become known for his incredible athleticism and has even been labelled as 'Air Sesko' by some fans - given his impressive jumping ability.
His freakish natural physique and confidence in-front of goal spark thoughts of a certain Norwegian bagsman... but we won't make that comparison just yet.
7. Florian Wirtz (83.7)
German star Florian Wirtz has, for a long time, been tipped to become one of the country's most exciting talents.
Wirtz made his Bayer Leverkusen debut in May 2019 at the age of 17 years and 15 days - surpassing Chelsea's Kai Havertz as the youngest player to debut for the club.
Since then, he's made 103 appearances, scored 23 goals and recorded 30 assists for the German giants - with big performances across domestic and European matches.
Perhaps his most impressive goal, of late, was his tremendous solo effort during Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with Monaco in the Europa League - where he wriggled between a number of defenders before slotting the ball home.
6. Xavi Simons (87.0)
PSV's Xavi Simons has been a well-known talent in Europe since his emergence in the Barcelona youth team back in 2010.
The Netherlands international quickly became known as one of La Masia's most promising talents but, despite this, was allowed to leave the club in 2019.
He joined French giants PSG and ended up starring seven times for their first-team before the club lost confidence and sold him to Dutch side PSV last year.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions for the 20-year-old, who has developed into one of Europe's top talents during his time in the Eredivisie.
With 19 goals (joint-best in the league) and eight assists from 34 top-flight appearances this year, Simons proved that Barca and PSG were wrong to doubt him.
5. Alejandro Balde (87.8)
Left-back isn't typically a position that gets people excited about potential future prospects, but that isn't the case with Alejandro Balde.
The Spaniard has become one of Barcelona's most exciting talents and regularly featured in their first-team last season, as they claimed the LaLiga title.
His willingness to attack is clear and Balde is often positioned almost as a winger on the pitch, but still shows a desire to get back and help his team-mates out.
With six assists, and one goal, from his 33 LaLiga appearances, it's clear that the Catalan side have found their Jordi Alba replacement for the next decade.
4. Antonio Silva (91.6)
If you're looking for a defender for the future, look no further than Benfica star Antonio Silva.
The 19-year-old has soared up the football rankings in Portugal since his breakthrough last year, becoming a regular feature for the Primeira Liga champions.
His 30 appearances in the top-flight were instrumental in Benfica's title success and, in turn, saw Silva earn four call-ups to Portugal's senior national team.
In addition to his hard-tackling and aggression in defence, the 19-year-old is assured and composed in possession - which can rarely be said for young defenders.
3. Gavi (93)
Barcelona star Gavi has spent the last year under careful scrutiny from pundits and analysts, having claimed the Golden Boy award in 2022.
The Spaniard, aged 18 at the time, pipped his rivals and clinched the title after an impressive campaign for the Catalan giants.
He's managed to maintain a similar standard in his play throughout the 2022-23 campaign and, along the way, helped Barcelona clinch a LaLiga title.
His two goals and four assists, from 36 appearances, do little to tell the story of Gavi's importance within the Barcelona side this season.
The Catalan giants rate Gavi so highly that they recently included an £855million release clause in his new contract.
2. Jude Bellingham (95)
Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you'll be well aware of Jude Bellingham's £113million move to Real Madrid.
The 19-year-old, who began his career at Birmingham City, enjoyed a brilliant campaign for Borussia Dortmund before sealing a move to Spain.
He managed to produce his best return since joining Dortmund last year, picking up eight goals and five assists during his side's title charge.
Bellingham has also shone during his international appearances and scored his first England goal during the World Cup game against Iran.
It marked the latest progression of his incredible career, having already gone from St Andrew's to the Santiago Bernabeu within four years.
1. Jamal Musiala (98.3)
It was always going to take a top talent to pip the likes of Gavi and Bellingham at the top, but Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala is a worthy shortlist leader.
The German star, who also represented England at youth level, has become a key member of Bayern Munich's side since his arrival in 2019.
The forward began his career at Chelsea's academy before moving to Bayern and, eventually, working his way into the first-team.
Musiala produced exciting performances in his first few years at the club, but it was during the most recent campaign where the youngster's talent really shone through.
The 20-year-old recorded 16 goals and 16 assists from 47 appearances in all competitions - including an 89th-minute winner that clinched the Bundesliga title.
