Andrea Berta has been named Best Executive at the 2026 Golden Boy awards, and the Arsenal sporting director was not the only Gunner honoured on Monday.
The awards, run by the Turin newspaper Tuttosport, were announced at the Mapei Football Center. Alessia Russo was named Golden Player Woman on the same afternoon, so it was a good day for N5 all round.
The main prize went to Pau Cubarsí. The Barcelona defender is the first defender to win the Golden Boy since Matthijs de Ligt in 2018, and he follows last year’s winner, Désiré Doué.
Why has Andrea Berta been named Best Executive?
Look at the table. Andrea Berta joined Arsenal in March 2025 to replace Edu, after more than a decade as sporting director at Atletico Madrid, and the squad he has helped build won the Premier League last season, the club’s first title in 22 years. They also reached the Champions League final.
His first summer brought in Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera. Most of them were part of that title-winning campaign.
This summer was about adding to a squad that was already good enough. Ezri Konsa came from Aston Villa, Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle and Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, and all three have played a big part as Arsenal went into the international break six points clear at the top.
Who else won at the Golden Boy awards?
Berta was in good company. Erling Haaland was named Golden Player, Barcelona’s Joan Laporta Best President and Jorge Mendes Best Agent.
Honest Ahanor won the Italian Golden Boy, Giulia Galli was named Best Italian Golden Girl and Felicia Schroder European Golden Girl.
Alessia Russo wins Golden Player Woman
Russo’s award is no surprise to anyone who has watched Arsenal Women this autumn. Her double at Anfield last weekend made it seven goals in four games, and Renée Slegers’ side now have Barcelona to think about.
Is Berta’s work at Arsenal finished?
Not quite, and he would probably say the same. The departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have left questions over the depth out wide, and the hunt for another forward did not get anywhere in the summer, as we covered when Arsenal let a £117m target go to Chelsea.
Arsenal have also agreed deals for two young players, Andria Bartishvili and Victor Ozhianvuna, who are due to arrive in the next year, which shows the planning goes well beyond the first team.
Andrea Berta’s award is deserved
Sporting directors rarely get the credit when things go right and always get the blame when they don’t. Berta has kept his head down, let Mikel Arteta do the talking and quietly built the deepest squad Arsenal have had in years.
A title, a Champions League final and a team six clear again in November is a strong case. If he can find the forward Arsenal have been chasing in January, this will not be the last award he picks up.
