| Golden Girl Award | |
| Sport: | Association football |
| Country: | Italy |
| Presenter: | Tuttosport |
| First: | 2022 |
| Number: | 2 |
| Mostrecent: |  Linda Caicedo |
The Golden Girl is an award that is given by sports journalists to a young female footballer playing in Europe perceived to have been the most impressive during a calendar year (two halves to two separate seasons). All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European nation's top tier.[1] The 2023 edition was won by Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo.
The prize was established by the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport in 2022.[2] It is awarded along with the Golden Boy given to the best under-21 male footballer.[3] It is presented by Tuttosport based on the votes of 50 sports journalists. The journalists who participate in the voting include Bild (Germany), Blick (Switzerland), A Bola (Portugal), l'Équipe (France), France Football (France), Marca (Spain), Mundo Deportivo (Spain), Ta Nea (Greece), Sport Express (Russia), De Telegraaf (Netherlands), and The Times (United Kingdom).[4] [5]
Players must be on a team in a top division in one of the top 25 leagues in Europe based on UEFA coefficient rankings as of May or June of that year in order to be eligible for the Golden Girl award.
A final selection of 10 applicants is produced by the panel from a shortlist of 100 players. Journalists from all throughout Europe then cast their votes for the prize. The journalists cast their votes for the top three options, giving the top option five points, the second option three points, and the third option one point. The player with the most points at the end is crowned the winner after those points are tallied to get the final rankings.[6]
| Year | Winner | Club(s) | Position | Birth year | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jule Brand | Hoffenheim Wolfsburg | Midfielder | 2002 | [7] | |
| 2023 | Linda Caicedo | Real Madrid | Forward | 2005 | [8] |
| Country | Win(s) | Year(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1 | 2022 | |
| Colombia | 1 | 2023 |
Year in bold have shared the win with other clubs.
| Win(s) | Year(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hoffenheim | 2022 | |
| Wolfsburg | 2022 | |
| Real Madrid | 2023 |