The 14th version of the ladies’s European Championship is ready to start on July 2 in Switzerland and, traditionally, main worldwide tournaments have confirmed to be a hotbed of rising skills.
A showpiece occasion provides the celebrities of tomorrow a platform, with younger gamers typically 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 control throughout this summer time.
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 objective 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 bins. Her positioning in the course of the totally different phases is sensible as she presents assist for her teammates and she or he has obtained 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 traces and put in harmful balls within the last 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 high quality tuning, however her photographs are often an amazing mix between energy and finesse.
At 5-foot-10 she is among the many taller girls’s gamers, however she could be very agile with good shut management. Her trademark lengthy strides permit her to recuperate 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 a whole lot of hopes for the host nation on her younger shoulders.
Esmee Brugts (21, LW/LB, Netherlands)
Netherlands want 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+ objective contributions in every of the final two seasons with Barcelona (10 in 2024-25 and 13 in 2023-24). And she or he is blessed with a thunderous proper foot, making her an enormous risk when slicing inside or taking pictures from distance.
The previous PSV participant is a wonderful 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 take care of.
A pure winger, Brugts has typically 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, successful 29 of her 37 tried tackles in Liga F this season.
Netherlands have scored only one objective of their final two video games in opposition to Germany and Scotland, so they are going to be hoping that Brugts’ efficiency can elevate them at each ends of the pitch.
Cecilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir (21, GK, Iceland)
Rúnarsdóttir was touted as probably the most promising participant within the Icelandic league in 2020, incomes an enormous status at her membership Fylkir, and finally 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 facet end second to safe European soccer for subsequent season.
In line with 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 share, 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 glorious reflexes to tug off saves from shut vary and can also be fast to get down low when wanted. However there are nonetheless areas to enhance. She does not typically undertake a proactive strategy to stopping opposition crosses by popping out to say the ball, and her potential to punch clear is not probably the most reassuring both.
Nonetheless, at simply 21, she appears set to develop into a mainstay for Iceland for years to return.
Ellen Wangerheim (20, ST, Sweden)
Wangerheim has been making waves in Sweden for the reason that begin of 2025 and the younger Hammarby striker has already scored 10 targets in 10 video games for her membership to date within the Damallsvenskan.
The 21-year-old shares a whole lot of traits together with her compatriot Stina Blackstenius, who scored the winner for Arsenal on this yr’s UEFA Champions League last vs. Barcelona, and her essential energy is her motion, which permits her to assault a defender’s blind facet and seem unmarked on the far publish.
Wangerheim has an innate understanding of the timing and path of runs in behind, permitting her to constantly get on the tip of high-quality probabilities. Her tempo can also 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 also be in a position to get on the tip of crosses and provide an aerial risk.
She has room to enhance her ball placing, success price in duels, and determination making underneath strain. However in a Sweden assault that primarily depends on stars from the FIFA Ladies’s World Cup six years in the past, Wangerheim is a breath of recent air and can assist exploit drained defenses this summer time.
Emilia Szymczak (19, CB, Poland)
Poland have certified for his or her first-ever main competitors and whereas all eyes shall be on her Barcelona teammate and Europe’s high objective scorer this season, Ewa Pajor, Szymczak shall 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, enjoying 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 energy 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 facet from protection to assault with one swift go. However she additionally has an excellent 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.
In fact, 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 is going to certainly play a big half.
