Jon Martín lands on Golden Boy Top 100 shortlist
Your young centre-back has been named among the 100 nominees for the Golden Boy award. It follows a breakout first full season at Real Sociedad that has put elite European clubs on alert (1).
Martín is the latest La Real academy graduate to make the list. Antoine Griezmann won it in the past. More recently, Mikel Oyarzabal and Ander Barrenetxea also earned nominations during their early years at the club (1).
Kubo stars for Japan, Óskarsson sits out
Takefusa Kubo started and led the attack as Japan beat Iceland in a World Cup warm-up friendly. The creative linchpin played a key role in the win. The scoreline was not disclosed in reports (2).
Orri Óskarsson, Kubo's club teammate, was absent. Iceland's manager chose not to involve him in the matchday squad (2).
Inside Martín's accelerated development
Martín has addressed the weaknesses that marked his game last season. His first full campaign was a steep learning curve, but the progress is real.
Defensive positioning, previously a concern, has sharpened noticeably. The ceiling remains high and he is increasingly viewed as a long-term pillar of the backline (3).
