Sydney Schertenleib: Barcelona's Ballon d'Or hungry teenager hoping to propel Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland to new heights

Born in Zurich, Schertenleib was exposed to football from a very young age as her father played for FC Wadenswil, a club in the lower leagues in Switzerland. "I always went to his matches," she told reporters recently. "And in kindergarten, I used to play with the boys at recess. I loved the looks on the boys' faces when I dribbled past them. That always spurred me on to keep playing."

She would start playing club football in the junior section of FC Wadenswil before joining FC Zurich at the age of 10, progressing gradually through the youth teams during a six-year stay. One of the highlights of that period was the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup back in 2022, for Under-19 sides, in which she helped Zurich defeat Lyon in the final.

Schertenleib played often in Zurich's U21s and was on the fringes of the first team, though did not start regularly due to competition for places in one of Switzerland's best sides. As such, aged 16, she moved to city rivals Grasshoppers, where she was able to firmly establish herself in the line-up and get the senior game time needed to aid her development.

Schertenleib's senior Switzerland debut came during her lone season with Grasshoppers, less than a month after her 17th birthday, but it was the teenager's move to Barcelona which really thrust her name into the spotlight in a big way. It was a transfer that actually came about through Instagram, she has since revealed, telling reporters: "My dad said, ‘We’ll talk about Barcelona later’. I was like, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Didn’t you see the message?’ I opened Instagram, all flustered, and there it was.”

The teenager initially played for Barca's talented B team, which has helped to develop several young stars set to play at this summer's Euros, and impressed quickly to earn her first-team debut by November. Once there, she would only become more and more involved as the Catalans secured a domestic treble and reached the Champions League final, losing 1-0 to Arsenal.

Schertenleib ended her first season with the club with one goal and three assists in her 18 league appearances, just eight of them starts, as well as a strike from her 54 minutes of European action in one of the very best, and most competitive, squads on the continent.

Now, Schertenleib is set for the monumental honour of representing her country in a home Euros, at just 18 years old. She will be a key starter, too, with head coach Pia Sundhage having put serious faith in the talented teen since her appointment by the federation in January 2024.

In the Nations League, which dominated Switzerland's schedule in the first half of 2025, Schertenleib started all six games, mostly as part of a front two in the Swiss' 3-5-2 set-up. It's not a position she has played much at all in her career, having largely excelled in any of the three midfield roles, but it is one in which she has provided some magic for La Nati, most notably with her sublime strike against Norway back in February.

Schertenleib's most obvious strength is her incredible technical talent, the kind of which is best summed up by Veronica Maglia, who coached the Barcelona starlet in Switzerland's U17s. Asked by GOAL what made Schertenleib stand-out when she first watched her play, Maglia simply said: "The ball was, and is, virtually an extension of her body."

The 18-year-old is a wonderful dribbler, she has an impressive passing range and her fantastic understanding of the game overall allows her to easily switch between the different roles in midfield, making her effective as a deep-lying playmaker, an exciting box-to-box goal-threat or a creative No.10. "She radiates confidence in the team thanks to her quality," Maglia added. "She makes her team-mates better with her skills. She always puts herself at the service of the team."

Underneath it all is Schertenleib's top attitude and work ethic. Maglia is keen to highlight how "attentive" the teenager is when it comes to analysis and tactical elements of training, as well as her desire to win: "In matches, you can compare her to a lioness who goes hunting hungry. When she was 'angry' because she had one or two not so good actions, she always had the ability to turn up three or four gears and decide the game. She always wants to win."

At 18 years old, there is always room for Schertenleib's final product and physicality to improve, though she has certainly taken big steps in both areas during the last year in particular. Perhaps the most intriguing and noteworthy area of her game to watch in terms of development, though, is not so much something she personally has to get better at, but rather the fact that she is playing so many different roles right now.

Maglia's feeling is that Schertenleib will settle into a box-to-box role over time, because she has qualities to bring to both the defence, "with her determination to get the ball back and help the team", and the attack, "with a stroke of genius". Whether that is the case, whether the teenager ends up thriving in a different role on a more consistent basis, or whether she bounces around positions throughout her career, it will all have an impact on what exactly Schertenleib needs to strengthen in her game over time.

That Schertenleib continues to bounce around those different roles makes it hard to make a direct and perfect comparison to another player in the women's game right now, but it's hard not to see shades of Putellas, her Barca team-mate, in her game. That versatility is actually a part of that, too, as Putellas is someone who can, and has, thrived in so many different positions, be they varying midfield roles or even in the forward line.

Schertenleib's ability to score and create, the ease at which she dances past defenders and how she can drop deep and influence the passing game from there all draw resemblance to the Spain star. The teenager obviously has a way to go to reach the level of someone who has won the Ballon d'Or twice, though she has her mind fixed on achieving similar accolades. Working alongside Putellas - and so many more world-class players - every day in Catalunya will certainly be aiding Schertenleib in that realm.

Switzerland have never progressed beyond the group stage at the Euros, crashing out at the first hurdle in both of their previous appearances in this tournament, in 2017 and 2022. However, their status as hosts has given them a kind draw for 2025, alongside an often underwhelming Norway, an Iceland team that have only ever won one game at this tournament and a Finland side that hasn't progressed beyond the group stage since its own home Euros in 2009. Schertenleib will hope she can play a key role in helping her country go further than ever before on this stage, especially with it to take place on home soil.

A strong tournament would also set the tone for what the teenager will hope can be an even bigger season for her at Barcelona, in 2025-26. The 18-year-old grew to be an important part of the squad in her first year in Catalunya and she was exposed to some huge stages in doing so. However, she'll be determined to get more minutes, goals and assists to help the team and develop her game.

"My biggest goal is to win the Ballon d'Or, actually, since I started playing football," Schertenleib declared just last week, an admission that showed it is not only externally that there is great expectation and pressure. "But first I want to get better and gain experience," she added. "I'm learning from the best at Barca, but also in the national team. I'm confident that I can do it. But I'm also trying to keep my feet on the ground."

Sometimes it can be difficult for extremely talented young players to get the correct balance between ambition and humility, yet it's hard not to feel like Schertenleib has it right now. "Sydney has always had high goals and now that she is competing with the best in the world, she realises that this is the real deal," Maglia said. "But I am convinced that she got there because she represents great values that were passed on to her at home. If she always manages to stay true to herself, she will have a lot of fun - and so will we all."