Spain, Germany and the Netherlands are among the favourites to win this summer's tournament and their chances will be bolstered by some top youngsters
There will be a ton of star names on show this summer when the Women's Euros kick off in Switzerland on July 2. With the likes of Lauren James and Leah Williamson set to represent reigning champions England, the double Ballon d'Or-winning duo of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati expected to dominate in midfield for World Cup winners Spain, and players such as Vivianne Miedema, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Pernille Harder also bringing their talents to the tournament, it's going to be quite an event.
But while those established names are likely to make their impact throughout July, the stage is also set for some lesser known talents to make their breakthroughs and announce themselves to the whole continent. Some of those breakout stars will be late bloomers, players who have been around for a few years now and finally explode in a big way this summer. Others, though, will likely be the teenage talents that are coming of age just as the Euros approach.
There are some starlets already well-known to fans of the women's game who will get the chance to grace this a huge tournament in Switzerland, such as Barcelona's Vicky Lopez, who ranked top the NXGN 2025list, and then there are some lesser known youngsters who look set for prominent roles for their country this summer.
GOAL picks out the teenage talents to keep an eye on at this summer's Women's Euros…
Getty ImagesVeerle Buurman (Netherlands)
Veerle Buurman only made her senior Netherlands debut back in October, and yet she could well be a starter at this summer's Euros. Since being in the line-up for that friendly win over Denmark, a reward for great early form with PSV and some top performances in the youth national teams, the teenage centre-back has not dropped out of Andries Jonker's squad. She started, and scored (at both ends), against the United States in December, and was trusted against another top opponent, Germany, in February.
Jonker has a lot of options in the heart of defence. There is the experienced Sherida Spitse, the Dutch captain likely to hit 250 caps this year; Dominique Janssen who, like Spitse, can play at centre-back or in midfield; plus Caitlin Djikstra, who Buurman played well with against Germany. It's a competitive area of the park then, regardless of whether the Netherlands play with a back three or a back four.
It's clear, though, that Buurman is right in the mix to make the starting XI going into this summer's tournament, which says a lot about her composure, quality and physical capabilities at this early stage of her international career. With the 18-year-old having signed for Chelsea last year, before being loaned back to PSV for this current season, the Euros will be a good chance for the Blues' fans to see what she is all about, too, if she wins one of those starting berths.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMayzee Davies (Wales)
Mayzee Davies might be yet to make her senior debut for Manchester City, but she's already having an impact on the international stage. A defender who spent time in the academies of Everton, Man City and Manchester United before returning to the Cityzens last year, Davies received her first Wales call-up in February 2024 and has since won four caps. The latest of those was a big one, too, granted a first start when the team travelled to Italy for their first game of the new Nations League campaign. How did she take to the occasion? Her Player of the Match accolade tells the story.
Having been involved in every national-team camp for over a year now, Davies has been slowly accruing experience in the environment and showing head coach Rhian Wilkinson why she deserves a chance. If she can continue in the manner she is, she could be exposed to some even bigger moments in Switzerland, as Wales prepare to face England, France and the Netherlands in the 'Group of Death'.
Getty ImagesGiulia Dragoni (Italy)
After going to the 2023 Women's World Cup as a 16-year-old, Giulia Dragoni will follow that up with a European Championship this summer. Under then-coach Milena Bertolini, she started every game at the former, which was big billing for someone so young and with just one senior cap before the tournament kicked off. The teenager has not been used as heavily as that under new boss Andrea Soncin, which may well be a good thing, but she is still expected to have a prominent role as the Azzurre look to make up for back-to-back group stage exits at major tournaments.
Dragoni has built up a lot of senior experience in the last 18 months or so, with a loan move from Barcelona to Roma helping her rack up the minutes that her development needs. Whether as a substitute or a starter, she will hope to bring her learnings from this past year to the table as Italy look to navigate a tough group that features Spain, Portugal and Belgium.
For now, it looks like Soncin sees the young midfielder as a valuable impact sub, with her determined dribbling, defence-splitting passes and dangerous long-range shooting all attractive traits to bring off the bench in a game. Dragoni will hope to spend the remaining months of the season convincing the coach that she should be a starter, though.
Getty ImagesMared Griffiths (Wales)
Although her first Wales call-up came a few months earlier, Mared Griffiths breakout moment in the senior game was actually with Manchester United, after she scored twice in their FA Cup win over Wolves in February despite only coming off the bench in the 81st minute. Her first was an opportunistic tap-in, showcasing the midfielder's goal-poaching instincts, and her second was a technically superb hit on the volley, making it a debut to remember.
Less than a couple of weeks later, Griffiths' Wales debut would follow, and Wilkinson was full of praise for the difference the 17-year-old made out in Italy, even if she couldn't stop the Dragons from falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
"I’m privileged to be on camp every time, I’m so grateful," she said just before being granted that first cap. "You don’t expect to be here and you shouldn’t take it for granted. You have to work hard because of the competition." Matched with her talent and form, that is the kind of attitude that could get the teenager on the plane to Switzerland.
