Aggie Beever-Jones, Claudia Pina, Vicky Lopez and more – 9 young stars ready to take over at UEFA Women's Euro 2025

Ahead of Euro 2025, we look at a group of young players who are poised to break out at the tournament. Some might already be household names, whereas others might be new faces for a lot of viewers. From Aggie Beever-Jones to Claudia Pina, there are a host of exciting young players at this tournament just waiting to make their mark and create their own piece of footballing history.

One of the best things about international football is watching players have a moment.

Sometimes, that can be more experienced players finding a new level, but often it is younger players being given the opportunity and taking it with both hands.

Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro 2025, which begins in Switzerland this week, we’ve picked out nine young players who are poised to have a breakout tournament.

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As with our pick of star names, some of these players will be well-known to regular viewers of women’s football. The goal here is to give an overview for new viewers who are unsure who to look out for over the coming weeks.

Aggie Beever-Jones – England

Aggie Beever-Jones continues to go from strength to strength for Chelsea, and she played a key role off the bench for Sonia Bompastor’s side this season - something she will also do for England in this tournament.

Beever-Jones can play as the central striker or out wide and offers manager Sarina Wiegman plenty of options if she needs a goal.

Beever-Jones recently scored a hat-trick against Portugal at Wembley, underlying her rise as a goalscorer, and over the last two seasons she has scored 20 WSL goals.

Chances will always have to be earned at a club like Chelsea - the fact that Beever-Jones has had so many opportunities is a testament to her ability.  

Aggie Beever-Jones celebrates after scoring one of her goals for England against Portugal

Image credit: Getty Images

Claudia Pina – Spain

Honestly, there is a pretty good argument to be made that Pina shouldn’t be on this list.

She just finished as the top scorer in the UEFA Women's Champions League with Barcelona and recently scored a brace off the bench as Spain beat England in the UEFA Nations League. Frankly, she’s already a superstar.

But the reality is that Spain are a stacked team and with Salma Paralluelo (who could have been on this list but had to endure a tougher domestic season with Barcelona) and Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey also looking for minutes on the wings, Pina won’t start every game.

When she’s on the pitch, though, she’s hard to miss. She just makes things happen.

There is a sense of anticipation when she has the ball at her feet. Even in this Spain team there is a sense of there being something different about her. Pina is poised to have a massive tournament.

Claudia Pina celebrates scoring a goal for Spain against the Netherlands

Image credit: Getty Images

Wieke Kaptein – Netherlands

When Chelsea announced the signing of Wieke Kaptein from FC Twente in 2023, there was a real sense of excitement for the club's fans.

The midfielder had just become the youngest ever player to feature for the Dutch at a World Cup, having played at just 18 years of age. It was confirmed that Kaptein would spend the 2023/24 season with Twente before linking up with Chelsea in 2024.

The fact that Kaptein arrived in London to a new manager and still forced her way into the team on a regular basis is a massive feather in her cap.

She was not in Bompastor’s first-choice team in England, but she will be here, albeit her role has been quite changeable in recent matches as Andries Jonker experiments in the build-up to Euro 2025.

Vicky Lopez - Spain

Our second Spanish player, but perhaps not the one you expected? In fairness, 18-year-old Vicky Lopez was a surprise name in the Spain squad despite being possibly the most exciting young player in world football right now.

Lopez had a great season at Barcelona, scoring 10 league goals. And manager Montse Tome clearly sees her as a game-changer off the bench. Lopez is quick, with incredible close control. This is a player with magic in her boots.

Vicky Lopez celebrates after scoring for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid in April

Image credit: Getty Images

Our colleague from Eurosport Spain, David Orenes, said: "Don't miss Vicky Lopez. She's a gem of a player. She debuted in the First Division at just 15. When she gets the ball, things always happen."

Lopez is certainly one to watch. She is sure to be on your television screens more and more over the next decade.

Sydney Schertenleib – Switzerland

Our selection from the host nation. It is hard to overstate the hype in Switzerland for Sydney Schertenleib at the moment.

The 18-year-old has become a regular fixture in the Barcelona team and she will start up front in manager Pia Sundhage’s 3-5-2 formation, even though she plays a little deeper at club level.

Schertenleib is brilliant at coming to get the ball, turning away from her marker and driving up the pitch. It is a really impressive part of her game for one so early in her career.

Expect to see her dropping deeper a lot to get the ball and getting her team up the field. Her height and quick feet mean she can shield the ball well, giving her team-mates time to find space for her pass. This is just the beginning.

Oriane Jean-Francois - France

Oriane Jean-Francois might be 23 years of age but she did lose nearly two seasons of her career to a devastating ACL injury when she was with Paris Saint-Germain.

Her first season in England with Chelsea has been understandably slow, with Bompastor not wanting to overload the midfielder as she builds back up to full fitness in a new league and country.

But her role has grown, particularly with France over the past few months. Often playing at the base of the midfield, Jean-Francois acts as the tone-setter. She gets the team up the pitch with her incisive passing and ball-carrying.

Jean-Francois might not be the best defensively in terms of tackling technique, but her brain allows her to be in the right position to disrupt play on a regular basis.

Jess Park – England

Jess Park has had a great season for Manchester City, with both Jill Roord and Vivianne Miedema struggling with injuries at times.

Capable of playing as a No. 8 or a No. 10, Park is set to start for England in the absence of the retired Fran Kirby and the still not yet fully fit Lauren James, albeit in a tight battle with Grace Clinton.

Jess Park celebrates after scoring for England against Spain in February

Image credit: Getty Images

Park is effortless on the ball and has a great ability to make late runs into the box, often popping up on the end of loose balls to score. A great example of that was her goal against Spain earlier this year.

When James is fit, it will be interesting to see how Wiegman uses them both, but for now Park is the perfect option in front of Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway.

Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir - Iceland

Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir spent last season on loan in Italy with Inter Milan and excelled between the sticks. She conceded just 22 goals in 23 games with an impressive save percentage of 81.9%.

Runarsdottir is strong in the air and an excellent shot-stopper, plus her distribution has gotten better and better as she has played more and more games at a higher level.

Her future is uncertain, with parent club Bayern Munich already having an excellent stable of young goalkeepers.

There are rumours that Inter might try and buy her permanently in a potential new world-record transfer for a goalkeeper. Regardless, she will start in goal for Iceland and will be pivotal if they are to make the knockouts.

Cora Zicai – Germany

Our last name is a bit of a wildcard but one of the most exciting young players in the world.

Cora Zicai was developed in Freiburg’s world-class youth system and has now been rewarded with a move to German giants Wolfsburg as well as a call-up to Germany’s Euro 2025 squad.

Zicai won’t start but she will regularly be used as a game-changer off the bench, often out wide on the left.

The 20-year-old is direct, rapid, good with both feet and knows where the goal is. She is the kind of player who can make a name for herself at an international tournament.

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