Ali Barat collects his Golden Boy 2025 Best Agent trophy in Turin
Epic Sports confirmed on LinkedIn that founder and agent Ali Barat was in Turin to receive the Golden Boy 2025 Best Agent trophy at Tuttosport’s gala, formally collecting an award that had already been announced earlier in November. The night was described by the agency as “a memorable evening” that underlined the vision, leadership and excellence Barat brings to Epic Sports and to every player they represent.
Barat used the moment to stress that the award is about responsibility rather than celebrity:
“I feel a great sense of responsibility. A trophy is nice for one evening, but what really matters is the trust that players and families place in you every day.”
For FootballAgencies.com readers, this ceremony acts as a follow-up to our earlier coverage when the winner of the Golden Boy award was first confirmed.
A second Golden Boy Best Agent award for Ali Barat
The Turin gala marks Ali Barat’s second Golden Boy Best Agent title. He first won Tuttosport’s Best Agent award in 2023 and has now added the 2025 edition, making him one of the very few agents to claim the Golden Boy trophy multiple times.
The Golden Boy Awards, created by Italian sports daily Tuttosport, are among the most recognised honours in European football, celebrating the best under-21 player in Europe (Desire Doue from PSG won) as well as a growing list of categories that spotlight the wider industry – including agents, clubs and executives.
For an agent, being named Best Agent at Golden Boy is a signal to clubs, players and families that their deal-making, scouting and long-term career management stand out in a crowded and highly competitive market.
Who are Epic Sports – and what defines Ali Barat as an agent?
A fast-rising global agency
Founded by Ali Barat in 2016, Epic Sports has quickly grown into one of the most influential agencies in the European transfer market. Based in Europe and operating across the major leagues, the agency focuses on:
- Elite transfer negotiations in the top five leagues.
- Career planning for high-potential talents.
- Close support for players’ families and inner circles.
Recent seasons have seen Epic Sports heavily involved in some of the most talked-about moves in Europe. Spanish outlet AS highlighted the agency’s role in transfers such as Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Renato Veiga to Villarreal, Nico Jackson to Bayern Munich, Xavi Simons to Tottenham, Noni Madueke to Arsenal and Archie Brown to Fenerbahçe, noting that Epic Sports has effectively “conquered” the market in parts of Europe and is now considered a top five global agency by transfer volume and impact.
Epic Sports also newly represent brothers Justin Kluivert and Ruben Kluivert.
From Moisés Caicedo to statement deals across Europe
Before the 2025 summer window, Barat had already been central to Moisés Caicedo’s British-record transfer to Chelsea, a deal widely reported as one of the most expensive in Premier League history.
In 2025, Epic Sports followed that up with a series of high-value, high-pressure negotiations around some of Europe’s most coveted young players, reinforcing Barat’s reputation as a specialist in complex, multi-club transfer races.
Through all of this, Barat’s public message has remained consistent: trophies and headlines are secondary to the daily work of building trust with players and families – and guiding careers over 10–15 years, not just one transfer window.
Inside the super agent mindset – Ali Barat’s quickfire Q&A
To mark the Golden Boy 2025 ceremony, Ali Barat answered a set of quickfire questions on Instagram, offering a rare, concise look at how he sees his own career highlights and ambitions.
Biggest, most epic and favourite deals
- Biggest deal: “Caicedo” – a reference to Moisés Caicedo’s record move to Chelsea, one of the defining transfers of recent Premier League seasons.
- Most epic deal: “Nicolas Jackson” – highlighting the forward whose rise from a promising talent to a top-level European striker has been closely tied to Epic Sports’ work.
- Most difficult deal: “Jackson” – again pointing to Nicolas Jackson, suggesting the negotiations around his moves and contracts have been some of the most demanding of Barat’s career. Surely related to Jackson's loan deal to Bayern Munich, which was almost cancelled.
- Favourite deal: “Jackson” – when an agent names the same player for “epic”, “most difficult dream” and “favourite”, it says a lot about both the challenge and the emotional investment in that particular career.
Toughest negotiator, secret deals and ultimate goals
- Your secret deal? “Can’t answer the right one.” A typically discreet answer – and a reminder that some of the most complicated negotiations never become public stories at all.
- Your toughest negotiator? “Huijsen” – a nod to the negotiations around Dean Huijsen, the highly rated defender whose move to Real Madrid was one of the standout defensive transfers in La Liga.
- Your biggest football-related dream? “Winning these trophies. Want to win 3 more.”
Trust over trophies – what Ali Barat’s second Golden Boy award means
The scene in Turin – Epic Sports on stage, Ali Barat holding his second Golden Boy Best Agent trophy – is an image of status and success. But the way Barat and the agency have chosen to frame the evening is telling.
Rather than leaning into the “super agent” narrative, Epic Sports’ messaging and Barat’s own quote focus on responsibility, daily trust and long-term ambition.
For Epic Sports, Golden Boy 2025 confirms their place among the most powerful football agencies in the modern game. For Ali Barat, it is both recognition of a remarkable run of deals and a reminder that, as he puts it, “what really matters is the trust that players and families place in you every day.”
And with the Golden Boy trophy now safely in the cabinet, his quickfire answer about the future is simple: he wants three more.
