Five rising stars to watch in the 2024/2025 UEFA Women's Champions League
Find out which young stars are looking to make their mark in the UWCL this season.
Football
Year on year, the UEFA Women’s Champions League is the perfect stage for budding football stars to introduce themselves to the world.
Whether it be in qualifiers or during the group stages and beyond, it is home to Europe’s finest.
The likes of Jule Brand, Lauren James, and Lena Oberdorf had all previously been tipped by UEFA to make their mark, which they went on to do in this competition.
2024/2025 provides a fresh chance for the next generation of up-and-coming hopefuls to follow in their footsteps.
Below, Olympics.com looks at five young stars ready to write their name in lights in the latest edition of this prestigious tournament.
Italian teenager Giulia Dragoni.
Giulia Dragoni (17, AS Roma)
FC Barcelona is renowned for its home-grown talent, developed in the infamous La Masia academy.
So when they announced last year the arrival of a teenage Italian, ears perked. Giulia Dragoni became the first non-Spaniard to play within the youth set-up, which speaks volumes to her potential, going on to make her first-team debut last term.
At the 2023 World Cup, she represented Italy as a 16-year-old, proving that the age-old saying ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,’ still rings true.
Dragoni is spending the 24/25 campaign back on home soil, on loan at AS Roma. The Italian club cruised into the UWCL group stages with an aggregate win of 10-3 over Servette FCCF, with their teen striker scoring twice in the second leg. They’ll face Galatasaray, Lyon, and Wolfsburg in a blockbuster Group A.
Valentina Mädl (18, St. Polten)
18-year-old Austrian midfielder Valentina Mädl is an emerging talent for her club, and that has translated into the national team of late. The teenager has been a focal point of St. Polten since her move there in 2022, netting ten goals in her first campaign en route to becoming a league champion. This is her second UWCL campaign with the Austrian side and she has already contributed by scoring twice in the qualification stage.
She is continuously going from strength to strength and it will come as no surprise if a ‘big’ club comes knocking in a bid to secure her services within the next few years. She will have a chance to keep up the growth against FC Barcelona, Hammarby, and Manchester City in this season’s edition.
Haiti and Lyon midfielder Melchie Dumornay.
Melchie Dumornay (21, Lyon)
Melchie Dumornay is among the more established names on this list, having secured her big move to Lyon in 2023. The French club have handled her development particularly well over the last year or so. An injury played a part in her stagnated debut term, but six goals in 13 league appearances – and two in five UWCL games - still proved an impressive return. Readying for a full campaign, Dumornay has already found the back of the net three times in two, aiming to stake her claim as one of the brightest midfield stars in the women’s game.
The 21-year-old will be hoping to carry her form into Europe and play her part in helping Lyon return to glory in this competition, with games against Galatasaray, Wolfsburg, and AS Roma awaiting them in the group stages.
Daniela Galic (18, FC Twente)
The influx of Australian talent in Europe is growing year on year, and this summer it saw Daniela Galic – regarded as one of the nation’s brightest young stars – make a move to the Netherlands, where she now plays for UWCL debutants FC Twente. A player who excels in creativity, she has proven to be a key cog in the team whether that be in the forward line or in midfield. It is clear that Galic plays way beyond her years and could be crucial for her new Dutch team.
FC Twente’s debut sees them up against it, facing Real Madrid, Chelsea, and fellow newcomers Celtic.
FC Twente's new recruit Daniela Galic.
Rosa Kafaji (21, Arsenal)
Rosa Kafaji is yet to make her stamp for Arsenal despite looking promising in pre-season, but that will no doubt come across the course of a season that will likely see plenty of rotation across several competitions. Most of those chances may come in this competition, given her experience in it already, In the 23/24 edition, while paying for BK Hacken, Kafaji shone across 10 appearances where the Swedish side reached the quarter-finals before being beaten by Paris Saint-Germain. The 21-year-old scored four goals during that run and could prove a difference-maker for the Gunners who return to this stage after missing out last year.
Arsenal have a tough group ahead of them, facing Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Valerenga.