A total of 19 players from 13 Bundesliga clubs are currently in the running for the Golden Boy 2026 award. These include Leverkusen’s Christian Kofane and Montrell Culbreath, who were already on the list in May, as well as summer signings Kerim Alajbegovic and Kennet Eichhorn. Also represented is Francis Onyeka, who recently signed a contract with Bayer 04 to 2032 and is currently on loan at Bundesliga newcomers SV 07 Elversberg.
The Golden Boy award:
Awarded annually since 2003 by the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport, the prize honours Europe’s most talented player. The ranking is based on performance data, potential, league and club strength, and market value. This year, an initial Golden Boy Top 100 list was published in May, followed by an updated edition this week and further updates in the coming months. In October, the list will be narrowed down to a top 20, before an international panel of pundits finally selects the Golden Boy 2026. This year, the selection process will include all players born in 2006 or later who play in one of the 25 strongest European top-flight leagues.
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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