A total of 16 teams will fight during the European Championship in England to win the title. Each team has at least one star willing to shine with their own light in this continental tournament. These are the main figures to follow:
Group A
Ellen White (England): The Manchester City striker has managed to overtake Kelly Smith as England’s top scorer. In the year 2021 she scored a total of 12 goals in the 9 games she played with her national team and is synonymous with goals. She was named England Player of the Year in the 2011, 2018 and 2021 seasons.
Nicole Billa (Austria): She plays as a striker and her current team is Hoffenheim from the German Bundesliga. At 26 years old, she is one of the pillars of a team that wants to confirm his consecration in this European Championship. She shines for her great capacity for anticipation and cold blood.
Ellen White, England international, has already entered the history of football in her country
Ada Hegerberg (Norway): The Nordic team wants to regain the continental throne and for this it will have the stellar return of Ada Hegerberg after his resignation to play with the national team in the last World Cup for his fight for equality. The Olympique de Lyon scorer comes from winning the Champions League against Barça. She along with the azulgrana Caroline Graham Hansen she postulate the Norwegians as firm candidates.
Rebecca McKenna (Northern Ireland): Ireland wants to continue surprising in this European Championship with an outstanding figure. The right-back made her senior debut aged 17 in 2018, but her real breakout came with her performance in the play-off against Ukraine. That has earned Rebecca McKenna ownership and the signing by Lewes FC in England.
Group B
Sara Dabritz (Germany): The PSG midfielder, recently signed this summer by the Champions League champion Lyon, is the great German reference. The 27-year-old was part of the German team that won the 2013 European Championship and the 2016 Rio Games and has 85 caps. Powerful, fast and with a great vision of the game, she is one of the most sought-after soccer players on the world scene.
Pernille Harder (Denmark): Runners-up in 2017 and led by Pernille Harder, the Danes are looking to move up one more step on the podium at the European Championship. The Danish captain returns after her injury with very good feelings. Twice UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, in 2018 and 2020, Harder scored a hat-trick on her senior debut for Denmark aged 16, in 2009, and hasn’t looked back since to become Denmark’s top scorer. Denmark last September when he reached 66 goals.
Alexia Putellas (Spain): The winner of the Ballon d’Or leads a Spain that seeks to confirm its emergence with a European title after having left a very good impression in the last World Cup in France. To do this, she will have the enormous talent of the Barça midfielder and her competitive nature that have led her to lead a historic Barça, winner of the national treble (league, Cup and Super Cup) with a total of 30 victories in domestic competition.
Barça player Alexia Putellas, pure talent on the field
Linda Sällström (Finland): Sällström has been Finland’s main striker for a decade and has overtaken Laura Österberg Kalmari as the all-time top scorer despite suffering three serious injuries. Her ten goals in qualifying highlight her form.
Group C
Lieke Martens (Netherlands): The Dutch international leads the team that is the current European champion and seeks to revalidate the title. She was chosen the best player of the tournament in the 2017 edition and later awarded ‘The Best’ award. Her experience at Barça has given her already hurried technique a competitive edge and she is willing to be one of the protagonists of the tournament.
Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden): The 28-year-old Chelsea defender is one of the pillars of the English club, champion of the Premier and making its way strongly in Europe. He has an excellent left foot as seen in his overhead kick against Liverpool. He was part of the team that reached the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, where he played six of the seven matches and won the bronze medal.
Lieke Martens led the Netherlands in their triumph at the last European Championship
Ana Capeta (Portugal): Portugal replaces the suspended Russia after finishing second in the Group E standings. Their last-minute entry was a major surprise for a Portuguese team that wants to seize their opportunity. For this, it will have its top scorer, Ana Capeta as the biggest star.
Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (Switzerland): The Barça striker comes from being a finalist with Barça in the Champions League and winning the national treble. The versatile 31-year-old has been a mainstay of the national team for many years and has achieved a new milestone for Switzerland as her 67 goals in 131 games eclipses Lara Dickenmann’s goalscoring record.
Group D
Wendie Renard (France): The Frenchwoman is considered one of the best central defenders in the world. She has just won the Champions League with Olympique de Lyon and she arrives at the European Championship with great motivation after announcing her renewal until 2024, thus becoming the highest paid player in the French league.
Barbara Bonansea (Italy): Her speed and technique on the ball make the winger the Italians’ lethal weapon. She often shines at the big events, scoring both of Italy’s goals in a 2-1 win over Australia at the 2019 World Cup, and earning a place in the FIFA Women’s World XI.
France player Wendie Renard celebrates a goal against Mexico
Janice Cayman (Belgium): A Lyon player since 2019, the 33-year-old striker was recently named Belgium Player of the Year, four years after her first award. With the ‘Red Flames’, Cayman is the second top scorer and the one with the most games in her history.
Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir (Iceland): The Lyon midfielder took maternity leave in March 2021 and had a baby in November, but has returned to being available as captain and player with more games behind her with Iceland. She is the first woman to have been named Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year twice (2018 and 2020) and her technical and offensive skills have already taken her to three European Championship finals.