Ahead of the 2025 edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship kicking off in Slovakia, we identified seven players to keep an eye on.
Amid an action-packed summer of football that’ll have seen the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Nations League Finals, CONCACAF Gold Cup and UEFA Women’s European Championship all take place, the fact that a UEFA European Under-21 Championship is also on the schedule might’ve passed some by.
But needless to say, the Under-21 Euros is always an entertaining tournament as it provides the stars of tomorrow with a platform on the international stage. And with there being a very strong list of competing nations, the 2025 edition promises to be no different.
Defending champions England are joined by Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark as the teams likeliest to go deep into the competition, though every squad has its talents.
Ahead of the tournament’s start on Wednesday, we’ve identified seven players who were yet to make their senior international debuts when the squads were confirmed on 6 June but are worth paying close attention to during the tournament in Slovakia…
Ismaël DoukouréDefender, France
There’s an argument that Ismaël Doukouré will be one of the most unique players at the 2025 Under-21 Euros.
Centre-back is where he’s played most often at club level for Strasbourg. But under Liam Rosenior at the Ligue 1 side, he’s playing for a manager who’s open about not wanting to “pigeonhole” players into specific positions.
As such, Doukouré played roughly two-thirds of 2024-25 at centre-back and a third of the campaign in defensive midfield or central midfield. He’s also got experience in both full-back roles.
In fact, his two most recent appearances for France Under-21s came at right-back, and he’s even played as an attacking midfielder for them before.
This does make Doukouré quite a difficult player to fairly and accurately summarise with data because his output is heavily impacted by the various roles he’s played. But this also speaks to his roundedness as a player, as well as his adaptability and reliability.
You don’t need data to see that he’s an elegant, eye-catching footballer, though. Doukouré is technically excellent, brave and an accomplished dribbler, able to wriggle away from pressure and beat his man. This side of his game also appears to be aided by impressive composure.
He isn’t the tallest, and so a future in midfield is probably the likeliest scenario for him, but he’s excelled in a young Strasbourg side who just admirably finished seventh in Ligue 1.
With his contract expiring next year, Doukouré’s been heavily linked with a move away – this tournament gives him another chance to put himself in the shop window.
Michael KayodeRight-Back, Italy
Michael Kayode may be a name familiar to Premier League audiences – or it may not, given he only joined Brentford (initially on loan) in January and made just six starts in the English top flight.
Although his start to life in the Premier League may not have earned widespread acclaim, Kayode made a strong enough impression for Brentford to exercise their purchase option of £14 million. And the potential he’s shown won’t have been lost on Bees fans.
Tall and athletic, physically he’s a good fit for a full-back role, but then he also possesses quality on the ball. There’s a languid style to his movements in possession, but that’s underpinned by an impressive stride and willingness to burst forward when the opportunity arises.
For instance, he ended the 2024-25 Premier League season having averaged 12.5 metres covered per ball carry, which was the second furthest among nominal right-backs (minimum 450 minutes played). Similarly, his 3.2 dribble attempts per 90 saw him rank fourth among all full-backs.
But he also showed real promise defensively. Only two Brentford players (min. 450 mins) bettered his 55.8% duel success this season, evidence of his committed attitude, while he led the way for aerial duel success (69.2%), too.
Furthermore, he was highly effective defending against dribblers. Looking at ‘true tackles’ – which comprises tackles, challenges lost and fouls when attempting a tackle – Kayode had a 73.9% success rate in the Premier League following his January move; since the start of February, only seven nominal full-/wing-backs (min. 20 ‘true tackles’) did better defending one-v-one situations than the Brentford youngster.
And then, he also has a secret weapon: his long throw.
Kayode created four chances direct from throw-ins this season, more than any other Premier League player despite playing just 528 minutes following his January arrival. While none earned him an assist, two of his throws were ultimately followed by goals.
Nathaniel BrownLeft-Back, Germany
It remains to be seen if Nathaniel Brown eventually goes on to play senior international football for Germany or the United States, where his father was born. But it seems certain he’ll enjoy a strong career with one of them.
The rapid and purposeful left-sided full-/wing-back has just completed his first season in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, who signed him from Nürnberg in January 2024 before loaning him back.
It proved to be a bit of a breakthrough season, too, playing 26 times as Eintracht finished third, their best since coming second in 2011-12.
The headline fact for Brown is that he ended up recording nine goal involvements, setting up six goals – four in open play – and scoring three himself. All three of his goals were via finishes inside the area, and two of his assists also came from passes played within the 18-yard box, highlighting his positive mentality regardless of playing as a more conventional full-back or wing-back.
While he doesn’t rank particularly high in a Bundesliga context for most carrying metrics, he’s clearly accomplished on the ball, with his 79.8% pass completion rate in the final third seeing him rank sixth among wide defenders (min. 900 mins).
And while he sees himself as more of an attack-minded full-back, he boasted a strong record defensively in 2024-25. Looking again at ‘true tackles’, Brown’s 78% success rate was the best of all Bundesliga players to register at least 40, evidence of genuine reliability when trying to win the ball back.
Djaoui CisséCentral Midfielder, France
As recently as January, Djaoui Cissé was approaching 12 months since his most recent appearance for Rennes in Ligue 1. The youngster had a couple of brief outings in February and March 2024, but otherwise he wasn’t being counted on for the senior team by Julien Stéphan nor his successor, Jorge Sampaoli.
But everything changed with the arrival of Habib Beye as head coach at the end of January; three days later, Cissé made his first start in Ligue 1 and he’s barely been out of the team since.
The only game the young midfielder missed between Beye’s arrival and the end of the season was due to suspension. And even when his performances were deemed to have been a little less sparkling, his coach retained faith.
A tall, lanky midfielder, Cissé has many of the on-ball qualities we’ve come to expect from French number sixes. He holds on to possession well, is tidy on the ball and glides forward with a smooth assertiveness; technically speaking, there’s no doubt about his talent.
Among nominal defensive and central midfielders in Ligue 1, only seven averaged more carries (movements of at least five metres with the ball) per 90 than Doukouré (15.9) this season (min. 900 mins), and he also ranked inside the top 10 for progressive carries (moving the ball at least 5m upfield) per 90 (6.9).
It has been suggested that his late progression to the first team was partly down to a lack of defensive nous and intensity, but the signs are he’s moving past that, with his 2.6 tackles and 6.2 possession regains per 90 putting him second and first respectively in the Rennes squad this term. Both also see him rank respectably in a wider league context.
As a late call-up and only recently earning his first under-21 cap, Cissé’s unlikely to come straight into the starting XI. But he’s a player with a big future.
Paul NebelAttacking Midfielder, Germany
The 2024-25 season began with Paul Nebel filling the role of squad player at Mainz having just spent two years on loan at Karlsruher in the second tier. But he finished the campaign as arguably the first name on the teamsheet for one of the biggest surprise packages in the Bundesliga this season.
Nebel’s return to the top tier proved a very fruitful one. The diminutive attacking midfielder/winger recorded 14 goal involvements for the campaign, playing an important role as Mainz finished sixth to qualify for the UEFA Conference League.
A regular throughout the German age-group teams, Nebel has always been regarded as a player with potential. But 2024-25 saw that brought to the top tier for the first time.
Agile and slippery in tight spaces, Nebel possesses significant technical ability, and he combines this with a purposeful attitude that seems to always have him thinking one step ahead, whether that’s in the form of a quick offload or darting off-ball run immediately after releasing possession.
He also works incredibly hard, with only two players recording more high-intensity pressures than him (1,414) in the Bundesliga this season.
But it’s his effectiveness in front of goal that’s seen him catch the eye the most. Late arrivals into the box have been a feature of his game, and he’s consistently supplied crisp finishes.
Completely confident on either foot, Nebel’s proven a reliable goal threat from midfield. While his 10 goals is considerably higher than his 5.3 expected goals, only one of them was from outside the box, and just one other you could say was lucky.
Rather, Nebel’s mostly shown himself to be composed in dangerous positions, and being so comfortable on either foot certainly doesn’t hurt.
Yeremay HernándezWinger, Spain
One of the few players in Spain’s squad to have zero top-level experience, Yeremay Hernández was playing in the third tier of the Spanish football pyramid as recently as 2023-24.
This year, however, he’s been strongly linked with big-money moves to a host of clubs across Europe, with the exciting winger developing into a highly promising talent at Deportivo La Coruña in La Segunda.
We recently highlighted his importance to Deportivo, both in terms of ability and monetary value, and he ended the Segunda regular season with 15 goals, a tally bettered by only three players.
Despite playing predominantly on the left, Yeremay was Depor’s chief threat in front of goal, with his electric pace combined with movements into more central areas allowing him to wreak havoc.
Only three players in the Segunda’s 2024-25 regular season managed more than his 110 shots, highlighting just how active he was, and although he slipped to ninth for non-penalty expected goals (10.7), that was still a highly respectable return for a winger in a team who finished in the bottom half of the table.
A massive part of the threat he posed was down to his bravery and considerable talent on the ball. He registered 267 dribble attempts in 2024-25, 95 more than any other Segunda player in the regular season, as he frequently looked to beat his man.
And his forays in possession often had some kind of end product, too.
For instance, he recorded 72 carries – movements of at least five metres with the ball – that ended with either a shot or chance created, seeing him rank fourth across the top two tiers of Spanish football. And for goal- or assist-ending carries, his 10 was bettered by just two.
He may not start for Spain in Slovakia, but he’s the kind of explosive talent who could make a real impact off the bench if given an opportunity.
Mathias KvistgaardenStriker, Denmark
Had the squads for this tournament been confirmed a few days later, Mathias Kvistgaarden wouldn’t have fit our criteria as he actually made his senior international debut for Denmark in Saturday’s 2-1 friendly win over Northern Ireland. But that was a day after he was named in the Under-21s’ squad, so we’re still including him.
Kvistgaarden turned 23 in April and has spent his entire senior club career in Denmark at Brøndby, with whom he debuted in 2020.
While he’s been considered a player of potential for some time, 2024-25 saw him enjoy something of a breakout season and he’s now widely expected to move clubs this summer.
Kvistgaarden reached double figures for goals in the Danish Superliga for the first time this term, netting 17 times to finish as the competition’s second-highest goalscorer.
Scandinavia has become something of a hotbed for tall, powerful number nines in recent years, but Kvistgaarden doesn’t quite fall into the same category. His game is more about agile, nimble movements and instinctive finishes.
His pace and technical competency are certainly notable, but beyond that he seems to have a good understanding of where to be, and this helps explain why as many as 13 of his 17 goals – none of which were penalties – came via first-time finishes.
Although his 3.1 overperformance in relation to his non-penalty xG was among the highest in the Danish top tier, his 13.9 overall non-pen xG was second only to Patrick Mortensen. Not unrelated to that, Kvistgaarden’s average of 0.18 xG per non-pen shot was also the second highest in the division (25+ non-pen shots), evidence of his ability to find dangerous positions in the box.
It’s also worth mentioning that five of his goals came with his head – not bad for a player who isn’t the tallest.
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