The Golden Girl is an award that is given by sports journalists to a young female footballer playing in Europe perceived to have been the most impressive during a calendar year (two halves to two separate seasons).

All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European nation's top tier.

[3] The journalists who participate in the voting include Bild (Germany), Blick (Switzerland), A Bola (Portugal), l'Équipe (France), France Football (France), Marca (Spain), Mundo Deportivo (Spain), Ta Nea (Greece), Sport Express (Russia), De Telegraaf (Netherlands), and The Times (United Kingdom).

[5][6] Players must be on a team in a top division in one of the top 25 leagues in Europe based on UEFA coefficient rankings as of May or June of that year in order to be eligible for the Golden Girl award.

A final selection of 10 applicants is produced by the panel from a shortlist of 100 players.