Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford and Paris Saint-Germain teenager Kylian Mbappe are among the contenders for the Golden Boy award.
Italian newspaper Tuttosport have released a 25-man shortlist of candidates for the prestigious prize.
The best players on the planet under the age of 21 will battle it out to take the title, with the winner determined by a panel of 30 journalists.
Rashford finished as runner-up to Renato Sanches in 2016, with the now Swansea City loanee taking the prize on the back of his efforts in a successful European Championship campaign.
The United frontman is considered to be a serious challenger to the crown once again, but Mbappe is the strong favourite after bursting onto the scene at Monaco and earning a switch to PSG which will eventually cost them €180 million.