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Every major tournament has its breakout stars, and this summer's European Championship will be no different. At Euro 2022, though she was already 27 years old, Beth Mead felt like the big name propelled into the spotlight like never before, as the England winger went on to finis second in the Ballon d'Or voting and release a book in the months that followed a tournament that she took by storm. The likes of Ella Toone, Lena Oberdorf, Chloe Kelly and Alex Popp also firmly enhanced their reputations.
At the 2023 Women's World Cup, Spain's Aitana Bonmati was the player who went from being highly-rated and incredibly respected in women's football circles to a genuine global star, that tournament helping to secure the first of her two Ballons d'Or to date. But there were other names who announced themselves to a wider audience, too, such as Colombia's Linda Caicedo or Japan's Hinata Miyazawa, whose move to Manchester United followed her Golden Boot-winning summer.
Sometimes, these breakout stars can be easy to predict. After all, Bonmati went into that World Cup arguably already deserving of the Ballon d’Or, while Caicedo felt primed for the moment after stealing the show at Copa America the year prior. Others, like a Miyazawa, though, can come more out of the blue in a manner that can change a whole career.
So, with Euro 2025 set to get underway on Wednesday, who are the players with the potential to really grab the tournament by the scruff of the neck and announce themselves to the continent, and even the world? GOAL picks out seven possible breakout stars...