European Football’s Next Superstars: Who To Watch In 2025

Just recently, the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have been dominating the football scene with their stellar performances. But football, evolutionary as it is, is always open to a new crop of talent who captivates fans, shake up elite clubs and etch their names into the history books.

And, of course, you don’t expect this to change in 2025. And now that major leagues across Europe are becoming more competitive, fans and pundits alike are constantly on the lookout for the next big thing. Whether you follow the sport religiously or enjoy the fun of wagering on the best football betting sites, keeping an eye on these rising stars can really help. Let’s now explore some of the names you’ll likely encounter.

Endrick Felipe

Endrick Felipe tops our list of the names of players who could dominate the headlines in the next few months. Well, born as a Brazilian, Felipe plays as a striker for Real Madrid. He started playing football as early as when he was four and really enjoyed great support from his father. In fact, his father would, time and again, publish his goals on YouTube to capture the attention of big Brazilian clubs.

By the time he was eight, Endrick had started training in a Real Madrid camp, drawing inspiration from top players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Eder Militao, among many others. A few years later, in December 2022, Real Madrid released an announcement that they would be signing him in July 2024 when he turned 18. On 19 July 2024, it turned out so, with the club confirming that the agreement would run for six years.

Interestingly, after he made his debut after about a month, Endrick scored the third goal in the 3-0 home win against Real Valladolid. This made him the youngest foreigner in La Liga’s history to score for the club.

After about a month, he scored the last goal in the 3-1 win against VfB Stuttgart during his UEFA Champions League debut, making him the youngest player to score for the club in this championship. This also made him the youngest Brazilian footballer to score in the UEFA.

With such stellar performances, it actually makes sense to expect this player to change the course of football in the coming days. And just as a side note, he was selected to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers alongside his clubmates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes.

Warren Zaïre-Emery

Born in March 2006, this French professional footballer plays as a midfielder for PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) and the France national team. He made his debut for PSG in August 2022, becoming the club’s youngest-ever goal scorer. He also contributed to UEFA’s history, becoming the youngest player to begin a knockout phase match before winning his maiden Ligue 1 title.

And just like Felipe, Warren started footballing at the age of four. Several years later, he signed his first professional agreement with PSG in July 2022 – which was expected to run for three years until June 2025. He has made several debuts as a substitute for PSG, including the 5-0 league win away to Clermont.

Towards the end of 2023, he recorded the first assist for PSG in a 3-1 win over Lens. As such, he became the youngest PSG player to ever perform that way after Opta began examining such data in 2006. This would continue in October 2023, when he assisted Lucas Hernandez’s header in a match where they lost to Newcastle United.

Perhaps such performances were the reason The Guardian named him as one of the best 2006-born players globally. Warren later won the Player of the Match award, making the youngest player to make twenty stats for the club. And given that he has extended his contract with PSG until June 2029, the club stands a chance of enjoying more of his unmatched performances in the coming days.

Giorgio Scalvini

While strikers and mid-fielders often steal the spotlight, solid defenders like Giorgio are just as crucial to a team’s success. Giorgio was born in December 2003 and plays as a centre-back for Atalanta and Italy’s national team. His debut for Atlanta came in October 2021 when he came on as a substitute in the 85th minute of the match against Udinese.

He then debuted in the UEFA Europa League in April 2022 in a match against RB Leipzig. This would be followed by his first goal in his career during the Atalanta  – Verona match. Known for his excellent headers, Giorgio has a height of about 1.94 meters, which is always advantageous for him.

Unfortunately, he was ruled out of the 2024 European Championship after experiencing an ACL tear. He was taken out just five minutes before the end of the Atlanta – Fiorentina match, in which he scored in the first half.

Because of his unequalled performances, he recently won an award for the best U21 Italian footballer during the Golden Boy ceremony. And if he continues with his earnestness, we could see him make a name for himself in the European football scene even more.

What is our final word?

It’s actually true that there are always new names to watch out for in football sports. From the previous top players like Cristiano Ronaldo, we now have the likes of Endrick Felipe, who are set to change football’s history in the coming days.