This summer The i Paper’s Katherine Lucas will be in Switzerland with exclusive news, interviews and features from Euro 2025 – the best way to keep up with the Lionesses’ journey is by subscribing here.
Lena Oberdorf was 20 years old when she arrived in England in the summer of 2022.
ponement of the last Women’s European Championship by a year due to Covid was not the sole reason she became the defining young face of that tournament, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
Oberdorf, who made her international debut aged 17, would go on to be named Young Player of Euro 2022 at Wembley.
It would prove little consolation, as she received the award against a backdrop of frenetic Lionesses celebrations, with Germany beaten in the final.
This year in Switzerland, there will be no Oberdorf – she has still not fully recovered from her ACL tear of last year.
Hers will be big shoes to fill, and alongside the likes of more established youngsters like Esmee Brugts, Aggie Beever-Jones, Carrie Jones and Hannah Eurlings – there are a number of under-23s for whom this could be a summer of breakthrough.
Both the youngest player ever to feature in Liga F and the youngest woman to play for Spain, it is no coincidence Lopez is a good friend of Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona youngsters following similar trajectories, winning the Golden Girl and Golden Boy awards respectively last year.
A dazzling winger, she has the potential to make a similar impact for Spain as Salma Paralluelo did at the 2023 World Cup.
Lopez was the star of Spain’s U17s, winning the World Cup at that level and scoring twice in the Euros final they lost to France.
Wieke Kaptein (Netherlands)
Kaptein won the Treble with Chelsea this season (Photo: Getty)The midfielder is still only 19 but made one appearance at the last World Cup, in the Netherlands’ 7-0 win over Vietnam.
She has evolved since leaving FC Twente that summer, with Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor using her as a 10 as well as in her more conventional position as a No 8. Her opportunities will partly come down to whether Netherlands boss Andries Jonker opts for a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, and where she fits alongside Jackie Groenen.
Kaptein is now a Treble winner, making 16 WSL appearances for Chelsea last season – including coming on in both the League and FA Cup finals.
On the face of it, it is going to be difficult for Agyemang to get minutes behind Alessia Russo and Beever-Jones. When unveiling her England squad, however, Sarina Wiegman alluded Agyemang not being a traditional back-up, offering “something different”.
Wiegman has been particularly impressed with her physicality, not to mention the volley she scored 41 seconds into her debut. It was a beacon of hope on what was otherwise a dark night for the Lionesses in Belgium, and Agyemang could well get her opportunities as an impact sub when England need a goal.
She may only have one cap so far, but expect her to add to that over the next few weeks. Having come through the ranks at Arsenal, her spell on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion has finally given her a proper season of senior football and she has developed all the more for playing alongside Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris – who, ironically, she pipped to a place in the England squad.
Giulia Dragoni (Italy)
There was huge excitement around Dragoni two years ago in Australia when she arrived at the World Cup nicknamed “Little Messi” at just 16 years of age. Those comparisons are not always helpful, but the teenager played in all of Italy’s group stage matches even as, once again, they came up short.
It is a pity Dragoni’s rise has coincided with an era when Italy looked ready to arrive on the world stage in 2019 but have since been unimpressive.
Much of her development came from her two years at Barcelona – she is currently on loan at Roma – but she is originally a product of Inter Milan’s academy.
Szymczak has made huge progress at Barcelona (Photo: Getty)
It is going to take something extraordinary for Poland to escape a group featuring Sweden, Germany and Denmark. A versatile, consummately composed Szymczak is their best shot.
Barcelona originally signed the midfielder from Gornik Leczna for their B team, but she was registered for the senior squad around the New Year and next season she is likely to play a role in Liga F.
Szymczak turned 19 in June having already had a run of games for Poland in the Nations League, where she has also been used at centre-back.
Alice Sombath (France)
France are perennial non-Euro winners, and nobody can quite understand why. It has caused them to rip up what they know, leaving behind former captain Wendie Renard and record goalscorer Eugenie Le Sommer in favour of a string of youngsters.
Of those, it is hard to pick between Melween N’Dongala and Sombath in defence, especially with PSG’s Elisa De Almeida starting at right-back, but Sombath could also move into Renard’s place.
Sombath has already had a prolific career aged 21, winning three league titles with Lyon and a Champions League winners’ medal in 2022, having been identified as a serious talent by Bompastor during her time in Ligue 1.
She is something of a wildcard in the French squad given she only has two international caps, but she has done enough in the U19s to convince head coach Laurent Bonadei.
Your next read
square FOOTBALLJordan Nobbs: Nine things you didn’t know about the Lionesses
square FOOTBALLWomen’s football is too middle-class and that’s a problem
square FOOTBALLEberechi Eze would solve two Arsenal problems in one
square FOOTBALLThe bad news for Man City has only just begun
Cecilia Runarsdottir (Iceland)
Iceland kick off the tournament in the opener against Finland, in a group where Norway will be expected to qualify, but other than that there will be plenty of opportunities for Runarsdottir to make an impact.
The goalkeeper was on Everton’s books a number of years ago but never made a breakthrough into the senior team, first making her name in her homeland in the Besta deild kvenna, earning a move to Bayern Munich.
It has been at Inter Milan on loan that the 21-year-old has really excelled, named in the Serie A Femminile Team of the Season as the Nerazzurri missed out on the title to Juventus.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Seven breakout stars to watch at Euro 2025 – including a ‘Little Messi’ )
Also on site :
- Miley Cyrus, Josh Groban, Shaq & More Getting Stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame: Full 2025-26 List
- Audrey and Maggie McGraw Team Up for ‘Absolutely Incredible’ Classic Rock Cover
- My Chemical Romance guitarist Ray Toro lists Sherman Oaks home for $2.8M