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Diomande wins Rookie of the Season
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Yan Diomande named 2025/26 Bundesliga Rookie of the Season!
RB Leipzig starlet Yan Diomande has been named 2025/26 Bundesliga Rookie of the Season, presented by Sorare, beating Hamburg’s Luka Vušković and Bayer Leverkusen’s Ibrahim Maza to the award.
Diomande, Vušković and Maza have hoarded the Rookie of the Month awards between them this term, so it was little surprise to see the trio make up the final shortlist for the annual prize. Like in 2024/25, though, it was a fleet-footed winger who emerged triumphant in the final vote.
The future appears brighter than ever for Diomande, who succeeds Bayern Munich star Michael Olise in winning the award. The 19-year-old appears to be following a similar trajectory to the France international, who has truly established himself as world-class performer this season.
Watch: Diomande's huge impact in front of goal this season
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Every Diomande goal and assist this season
Diomande has taken the Bundesliga by storm since joining Leipzig last summer, playing a key role in the club’s return to the UEFA Champions League. Indeed, the teenager has registered more goals (12) and assists (eight) combined than any other Leipzig player apart from Christoph Baumgartner (13 and eight).
A constant threat in one-on-one situations, Diomande has attempted more dribbles than any other player in the division and contested the most duels. Boasting an excellent success rate of 55 percent, it also means he won more duels than any other Bundesliga player this term.
“The manner in which he keeps the opposition on their toes, tracks back and runs at players – it’s a pretty complete package,” Leipzig boss Ole Werner said earlier this season. “He’s a top character, a good lad and an extraordinary talent.”
Bayern winger Olise fended off competition from across the division to claim the Player of the Season award this term. If Diomande continues to follow in the Frenchman’s footsteps, Werner will be a very happy man indeed again next year.
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Watch: Luka Vušković named September's Rookie of the Month!
The Bundesliga will once again present the Rookie of the Season award to the best young talent in the 2025/26 season. Votes are cast not only by fans, but also by clubs and selected Bundesliga experts.
Vote weighting
Fan votes: 40%
Club votes: 30%
Expert votes: 30%
Criteria
For a player to be classified as a rookie, certain requirements must be met. They must be under 23 years old on the first matchday of the season and must not have been in a starting line-up in any previous Bundesliga season. Furthermore, players must not have accumulated more than 450 minutes of playing time in the Bundesliga before the start of the current campaign.
This means that young talents who have only previously made brief appearances and have not yet had the opportunity to fully showcase their skill have the chance to be crownedRookie of the Season. The winner will also receive a prestigious Bundesliga trophy.
The Rookie of the Season is chosen from the selection of Rookie of the Month winners.
