The 14th version of the ladies’s European Championship is about to start on July 2 in Switzerland and, traditionally, main worldwide tournaments have confirmed to be a hotbed of rising abilities.
A showpiece occasion provides the celebrities of tomorrow a platform, with younger gamers usually catapulted straight to stardom with good performances. Current success tales embody Linda Caicedo (Colombia), Lena Oberdorf (Germany) and Salma Paralluelo (Spain).
Listed here are 5 gamers aged 21 or youthful to keep watch over throughout this summer season.
Sydney Schertenleib (18, FW, Switzerland)
A standout participant for Switzerland’s youth sides, Schertenleib’s breakthrough got here in 2022 with FC Zürich and Grasshopper, earlier than she joined Barcelona in 2024. In her first season with the star-studded Blaugrana, the 18-year-old recorded 4 aim contributions in Liga F.
Her senior worldwide debut additionally got here in 2024 and Schertenleib has proven herself to be a invaluable attacking weapon, with a capability to cowl each blade of grass between the 2 packing containers. Her positioning in the course of the completely different phases is sensible as she provides help for her teammates and she or he has acquired 6.3 progressive passes per 90 minutes in Liga F this season, which places her within the high percentile.
She is inventive as nicely, constantly seeking to break strains and put in harmful balls within the remaining third, and her 6.1 shot-creating actions per 90 this season is among the many finest in Liga F. Her determination making wants some nice tuning, however her pictures are normally an incredible mix between energy and finesse.
At 5-foot-10 she is among the many taller girls’s gamers, however she may be very agile with good shut management. Her trademark lengthy strides enable her to get better possession and carry the ball ahead, and she or he has averaged 3.4 progressive carries per 90 within the league.
Switzerland have been winless of their final six video games within the lead as much as Euro 2025 and, in absence of a lot expertise in assault, Schertenleib will carry numerous hopes for the host nation on her younger shoulders.
Esmee Brugts (21, LW/LB, Netherlands)
Netherlands need to recreate their success from Euro 2017, when a flamboyant left winger (Lieke Martens) terrorized defenses and led them to glory. They now have an electrical winger able to recreating a few of that magic.
Brugts has recorded 10+ aim contributions in every of the final two seasons with Barcelona (10 in 2024-25 and 13 in 2023-24). And he or she is blessed with a thunderous proper foot, making her an enormous menace when slicing inside or capturing from distance.
The previous PSV participant is a superb ball provider with fast ft and shut management that permits her to flee from tight areas, and she or he has averaged 3.4 progressive carries per 90 at Barcelona this season. Her tempo additionally makes her a nightmare for any opposition full again to cope with.
A pure winger, Brugts has usually been began at left-back however takes the possibility to cost ahead at each alternative. Certainly, virtually 57% of her complete touches have come within the attacking third this season. Nonetheless, she has additionally improved her defensive contributions in 1-vs.-1 conditions, profitable 29 of her 37 tried tackles in Liga F this season.
Netherlands have scored only one aim of their final two video games in opposition to Germany and Scotland, so they are going to be hoping that Brugts’ efficiency can raise them at each ends of the pitch.
Cecilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir (21, GK, Iceland)
Rúnarsdóttir was touted as essentially the most promising participant within the Icelandic league in 2020, incomes an enormous repute at her membership Fylkir, and ultimately moved to Bayern Munich in 2022. This yr, she had a breakout season on mortgage at Inter Milan as she was voted the perfect goalkeeper in Serie A (after holding 10 clear sheets in 23 video games) and helped the Italian aspect end second to safe European soccer for subsequent season.
In response to FBref, solely Portugal’s Inês Pereira (0.4 targets saved per 90) has averaged a greater goals-saved price than Rúnarsdóttir in Europe’s high 5 leagues this season. With an 82% save proportion, she allowed 9 fewer targets than anticipated primarily based on the post-shot anticipated targets mannequin.
At 6-foot-2, she is tall however has wonderful reflexes to drag off saves from shut vary and can be fast to get down low when wanted. However there are nonetheless areas to enhance. She does not usually undertake a proactive strategy to stopping opposition crosses by popping out to assert the ball, and her potential to punch clear is not essentially the most reassuring both.
Nonetheless, at simply 21, she seems to be set to change into a mainstay for Iceland for years to return.
Ellen Wangerheim (20, ST, Sweden)
Wangerheim has been making waves in Sweden because the begin of 2025 and the younger Hammarby striker has already scored 10 targets in 10 video games for her membership to this point within the Damallsvenskan.
The 21-year-old shares numerous traits along with her compatriot Stina Blackstenius, who scored the winner for Arsenal on this yr’s UEFA Champions League remaining vs. Barcelona, and her essential power is her motion, which permits her to assault a defender’s blind aspect and seem unmarked on the far put up.
Wangerheim has an innate understanding of the timing and path of runs in behind, permitting her to constantly get on the top of high-quality possibilities. Her tempo can be key in having the ability to generate an additional yard of house for a shot and, regardless of being 5-foot-6, she can be capable of get on the top of crosses and provide an aerial menace.
She has room to enhance her ball hanging, success price in duels, and determination making below stress. However in a Sweden assault that primarily depends on stars from the FIFA Women’s World Cup six years in the past, Wangerheim is a breath of recent air and can assist exploit drained defenses this summer season.
Emilia Szymczak (19, CB, Poland)
Poland have certified for his or her first-ever main competitors and whereas all eyes can be on her Barcelona teammate and Europe’s high aim scorer this season, Ewa Pajor, Szymczak can be tasked with serving to to maintain issues tight on the different finish.
The younger midfielder-turned-defender has been concerned within the lead as much as the match, taking part in a component in Poland’s qualifying video games in opposition to Austria, and has 10 caps for her nation regardless of not making a senior look for Barcelona but.
Szymczak’s essential power lies in her ball-playing potential. She likes to orchestrate play from deep, has the vary and imaginative and prescient to launch correct lengthy balls, and may springboard her aspect from protection to assault with one swift move. However she additionally has a very good studying of the sport, which permits her to place herself nicely to disrupt opposition assaults, and isn’t afraid to make use of her physicality to bully gamers off the ball and be aggressive to win her duels.
After all, at 19 and with little senior expertise, she is not a completed product but and may enhance her shielding of the ball higher, in addition to her 1-vs.-1 battles. But when Poland are to proceed making historical past at Euro 2025, she’s going to certainly play a big half.