Nicola Zalewski Makes European Golden Boy 40-Man Shortlist

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way, but it seems like this season is moving at breakneck speed. Maybe it’s the fixture congestion due to the upcoming World Cup, as well as European group stage play being in full swing, but it’s hard to believe we’re on the eve of the first international break of the season, and the World Cup is just a couple of months away!

Not only does November bring us the winter edition of The Great Tournament, but it's also the thick of award season, where the best goals, players, managers, and youngsters are rewarded for their excellence the previous season. And while the prestigious Balon d’Or will be awarded in October this year, the Romaverse will hope one of their own will win the equally prestigious Golden Boy award come November.

When Tuttosport released their initial 100-man longlist in late June, a trio of Roma starlets made the cut, with Felix Afena-Gyan, Edoardo Bove, and Nicola Zalewski all nominated for this year’s iteration of the Golden Boy. However, from that trio, it’s been revealed that only one has moved on to the 40-man shortlist—the Polish sensation himself, Nicola Zalewski.

I know that the list is in alphabetical order, yet seeing Zalewski at the 40 spot is the perfect representation to show how improbable it’d be for him to take home the award this year. Not to say that a Zalewski win would be undeserved by any means, but with household names like Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, and Pedri all in the running as well, it’d certainly be quite the coup for the Polish winger/wing-backto win.

However, as Han Solo once said, “Never tell me the ***ing odds!”... or something like that. As Romanisti, we’ve seen our fair share of improbable victories over the years, so why not add a Nicola Zalewski 2022 Golden Boy award to the list?

Let us know how confident you are that Zalewski will be named to the final 20-man shortlist come November!