FEATURE | UEFA Euro U21 2025: 5 Players to watch for | OneFootball

An action-packed summer of football continues as the UEFA U21 European Championship begins with young players hoping to launch their careers on the biggest stage. Stars like Fabian Ruiz, Jonathan Tah, Vitinha and Diogo Costa made their names in the top European leagues by shining brightly in the U21 tournaments and this competition always reveals upcoming stars, who will shape the destiny of football in the future.

In this article, Get Football takes a look at five players as they aim to take their national sides to glory while engraving their own names in the list of potential greats.

Michael Kayode (Italy)

Our list kicks off with Italy right-back Michael Kayode. The 20-year-old registered over 36 appearances across two seasons with Fiorentina, as his reliable performances helped him earn a loan to Premier League outfits Brentford.

The Bees’ fans might not be well acquainted with him since he made just six starts in the English top flight but he made quite an impression enough to make Brentford activate the £14m buyout option. Kayode’s tall and tough stature enables him to be a difficult defensive figure to counter, while he often succeeds in keeping the ball to cool down intense situations.

Kayode recorded a 73.9% success rate for attempted tackles despite his nominal appearances since February. He is adept at forcing dribbles away from the ball and gaining possession in the final third. Apart from his defensive duties, Kayode is known for his quick bursts of pace when attacking, opening up opportunities for his teammates to progress up the field and slotting in chances.

With just 528 minutes on the pitch last season following his January transfer to Brentford, Kayode has cemented his position at the club and he is now ready to feature for his country at the U-21 stage.

Cesare Casadei (Italy)

Italy’s promising talent, Cesare Casadei is set to take the centre stage this U21 European Championship as he looks for yet another successful tournament with the Azzurri youth outfit. Casadei helped Italy reach the FIFA U20 World Cup 2023 final held in Argentina. While his side lost the final to Uruguay, Casadei ended up as the competition’s MVP, winning the Golden Ball and as the top scorer, having netted seven goals.

After a few testing seasons with Chelsea, Casadei moved to Torino in February and now he aims to establish his figure as one of the emerging stars of this generation. The 22-year-old is versatile on the field and can play both in an attacking role and a holding one. He is comfortable with the ball and always brings calm to the centre of the pitch. Casadei impresses with his off-ball movements as he quickly gets himself into scoring positions, helping his team gain numerical advantage in the final thirds whenever needed.

Casadei developed well under Enzo Maresca at Leicester City during the 2023/24 season, making 25 appearances across all competitions. He has a bright future ahead of him in the Serie A next season and whether he can make a big-money move to one of the top European clubs relies on how he controls the midfield for Italy this tournament.

Nick Woltemade (Germany)

A towering presence at the front of the line-up is set to star for Germany this tournament as Nick Woltemade will aim to continue his goalscoring form. The 23-year-old striker had a wonderful campaign with Stuttgart as he netted in every round of the DFB Pokal to hand the club their first trophy in 18 years.

Woltemade uses his size to hold the ball up the pitch, giving time to teammates to position themselves or lose their markers and then dictates the attacking nature to shake the opposition. Julian Nagelsmann called him for the first time in the Germany senior team for the Nations League, and he was handed a starting role against Portugal in the semi-finals.

Woltemade registered a 20 G/A in 33 appearances with Stuttgart in his debut season with the club and Germany will hope that he can be clinical in the competition, as much of the goalscoring department relies on him.

Geovany Quenda (Portugal)

A Sporting Academy product, Geovany Quenda is already attracting interest from top European clubs after emerging as the Portuguese side’s most important player last season.

Quenda was developed under Ruben Amorim, who gave him his first start for the side and then he recorded 35 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice and assisting five last campaign. Last year, he broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record by being Sporting’s youngest ever goalscorer at 17 years, five months and 27 days.

Quenda has already earned a transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2026. He is a left-footed right winger with enormous pace and dribbling skills, which helps him jeopardise opposition defences. Quenda has been praised by the Portugal senior team coach Roberto Martinez for his incredible ability to run past defenders while displaying effective control over the ball, something which is unique in his age.

Ismael Doukoure (France)

Playing under Liam Rosenior and his liberal tactics has helped Ismael Doukoure become a versatile defensive asset to Strasbourg. While he featured as a centre-back for the majority of the 2024/25 season, Rosenior’s open mentality shifted his position often at time to a more central role.

Doukoure could emerge as one of the most unique talents in the U21 Euros not only because of his ability to play in different positions but also due to his elegance and bravery in defence. Doukoure is one of the few young players who can keep a cool head under pressure from attackers as he dribbles the ball away from vulnerable areas.

Doukoure does not have a tall stature but he compensates for it by his ball-carrying skills, dribbling, and composure. A future in the midfield is suitable for him and this tournament could unlock his potential to become one of the future’s great.

Get Football | Trambak Bhattacherjee