Since 2003, the Italian sports magazine Tuttosport has presented the annual Golden Boy award for the best young player. This year's list of nominees includes players born in 2005 or younger - including Bayer 04 newcomer Eliesse Ben Seghir. Ben Seghir is joined by only one other Bundesliga player in Jobe Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund (via the wild card). In previous years, former Bayer 04 players Florian Wirtz, Odilon Kossounou, Piero Hincapie and Paulinho have been on the shortlist.
The top 100 young players are compiled using an algorithm developed by Football Benchmark and Golden Boy. The decisive factors here are performances at club level and for the respective national team. The top 20 and five wildcard players have now been selected from the 100 nominees. From these nominees, 50 international journalists will select the Golden Boy.
Werkself fans can vote for Ben Seghir in the Golden Boy Web award, an online public vote that includes the full list of 100 nominees: Click HERE to cast your vote.
There won’t just be plenty of excitement on the pitch as Bayer 04 host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena at 18:30 CET on Saturday. Outside the stadium there will be collection points for food donations to the Leverkusen Foodbank, which will also benefit from the profits of a jersey raffle in the Fanwelt afterwards. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off following the passing of long-time Werkself player Dieter Herzog, before two fan clubs are honoured for their decades-long support at half-time and fans receive a talk about Orange Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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Bayer 04 go into the first of two successive clashes with Borussia Dortmund boosted by their Champions League win at Manchester City. Ahead of the Bundesliga top match on Saturday, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the tight schedule, BVB's strengths and returning squad members.
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Borussia Dortmund are doing very well in terms of points and results in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. BVB have only suffered two defeats to date this term. Now coach Niko Kovac's team are away to the Werkself on Saturday night, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET) in the top match on Bundesliga matchday 12. The two teams meet again three days later in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie in Dortmund. Two very competitive encounters are on the cards. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
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