Joao Felix wins 2019 Golden Boy award
Football
By
Mirror
| Nov 27, 2019
Joao Felix has been awarded the 2019 Golden Boy award - pipping England star Jadon Sancho in second.
The Portuguese forward shot to prominence after a breakthrough season with Benfica saw him score 18 times, before earning a £113 million move to Atletico Madrid in the summer.
Dortmund winger Sancho was runner-up for the prize, followed by Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz.
Felix said: "Thanks to Tuttosport for the Golden Boy Award 2019, I am very proud.
"It is the second time that a player from Atletico Madrid has won this award and I am happy.
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"Thanks also to Benfica, in particular to coach Bruno Lage for all he has done for me and my family that is always close to me."
The award sees 40 journalists vote for the best upcoming youngster of the calendar year, with 10 points awarded to their first vote, with lesser points available to those in the top five.
Previous winners of the award include Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe.
Felix beat last year's winner Matthijs de Ligt to the award, who came in fifth.
The 20-year-old earned 322 of the votes, significantly more than Sancho who received 175.
Havertz edged Red Bull Salzburg striker Erling Haaland into third by a point with 75 votes, as de Ligt scored 71.
Elsewhere in the voting, Man City's Phil Foden came in seventh, Chelsea and England star Mason Mount in 11th, and Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi in 18th.
Felix will now receive his award at a Gala evening in front of over 200 guests on December 16.
The youngster became hot property during his time at Benfica, and was courted by a number of Europe's top clubs.
He was handed his senior international debut by Portugal in the summer's UEFA Nations League tournament, and has kept his place in the squad during the Euro 2020 qualifiers this season.
So far this campaign he had scored three goals in 13 appearances for Atletico, and follows in the footsteps of Sergio Aguero to win the Golden Boy whilst at the club.
The complete Golden Boy 2019 rankings:
1. Joao Felix, Portugal, Atletico Madrid, votes 332
2. Jadon Sancho , England, Borussia Dortmund, 175 votes
3. Kai Havertz, Germany, Bayer Leverkusen, votes 75
4. Erling Haaland, Norway, Red Bull Salzburg, votes 74
5. Matthijs de Ligt, Netherlands, Juventus, votes 71
6. Ansu Fati, Spain / Guinea B., Barcelona, ??votes 49
7. Phil Foden, England, Manchester City, votes 46
8. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy, AC Milan, votes 37
9. Nicolo Zaniolo, Italy, Roma, votes 36
10. Donyell Malen, Holland, PSV Eindhoven, votes 35
11. Mason Mount, England, Chelsea, votes 29
12. Rodrygo, Brazil, Real Madrid, votes 20
13. Vinicius Jr, Brazil, Real Madrid, votes 13
14. Moise Kean, Italy, Everton, votes 13
15. Andriy Lunin, Ukraine, Real Valladolid, votes 11
16. Dejan Joveljic, Serbia, Eintracht Frankfurt, votes 9
17. Matteo Guendouzi, France / Morocco, Arsenal, votes 9
18. Alphonso Davies, Canada / Liberia, Bayern Munich, votes 1