Into the Channel ⚽️ A Podcast Primarily About Women's Football

·E196

The 26 U26 Footballers To Watch In '26 ⚽️

Episode Transcript

Oh hey, welcome to a 2026 edition of Into the Channel podcast primarily about one supply.

I'm your host, Dino de Suspitas.

And as always, I'm joined by my Co host Mr.

Grant Angle.

What is up man?

I'm feeling fantastic, buddy.

I, I, you know, I'm ready to take on the new year, Fight the new year with both fists ready to attack this year.

And, you know, everything's going great so far.

So, you know, we'll, we'll see what what fresh news awaits us in the morning.

Let's go, let's take this new year and punch it in the face and, you know, do what we can't take these hills.

Punch those hills too.

I, I still love your fight on hills, not Diane hills, the quote.

I just, I, I just want to live as many of my days as I can by that quote.

I sent out the bat signal this weekend, said, hey, 2026, here we are.

You know, I love a draft, you know, I love naming some dudes or dudettes.

And it just so happened that I had I had an idea, I had something I want to run by you.

Thankfully, I shot it your way, your game.

But I want to I want to let our community in on what kind of show we want to have today.

So obviously kicking off 2026, let's look at the 26 players that we want to keep a close eye on 2026 that are under the age of 26.

It's an outstanding premise.

26 is an interesting age in the professional sports world, in the footballing world.

Think about like kind of entering your prime, but you all if you're going to be a superstar player, you should already be very, very good.

Like around that kind of 2425 ish.

You probably have several years of experience.

That was great premise by you.

And now we're talking about under 26, right?

So like if you are 26 years old, you're out.

Can't, can't be in this in this draft.

You're out if you were born in 19, something like some old geezer, yeah, you know.

There you go, the 1900s.

Yeah, in the 19, if you're born in the last century, you've got no, no room.

Come, come check us out next episode.

No, I'm just kidding.

Players wise, though, you got to be born in the year 2000 or beyond.

And we're just going to I I know I said 26, we're probably going to talk about like 86 or 96 players, but we're going to have an official 26.

We'll go Bobbsey, you know, alternating order, snake order.

I want to kick it to you first, Mr.

Grinning.

Lot of names to cover.

Lot of football coming up this year.

Lot of football to get excited about.

Where do you want to get started?

Well, let's get started with a beverage because what goes with football better than the beverage?

Now obviously this is not on draft.

We haven't we haven't reached that point of the set up yet.

I probably never will.

I don't really have any interest in maintaining something like that.

But either way, look at that.

That looks fantastic by you.

I love this new move out of you.

You know, I don't, I don't partake other than when I'm doing the show.

So there's no other time to really kind of put a dent in this bad boy.

And unless we're potting so, you know, I would say for the next say, maybe 3-4 episodes, you know, I might be pouring myself a little whiskey on the rocks, little single mauled action.

It's outstanding.

It's good work out of you.

I appreciate.

Cheers to you, cheers to the football.

I appreciate you giving me the first pick.

I think there are a lot of times where I'm like, no, never mind, you kick it to me, you go ahead, you take the first pick.

I think I will.

I think I will take the first pick.

You didn't do that this time, you said hey.

And then you know what?

Thanks buddy, I appreciate it.

I mean you, you throw the alley, I'll take care of the OOP on this case.

So.

Just call me D Wade.

There it is, number my number one pick, 22 years old, plays for Leon Melchi du Mornay.

Oh man, damn, I'm.

Right at the gate.

This is.

This is why I wanted to make the pick, you know, probably Leon's best player on form.

I mean, if we really think about it, for for quite a while now, she made an appearance on the only best 11 on the Internet that actually means anything, AKA the ITC best 1115 goals, 6 assists in the Premier League last year, just four goals in the UEFA Women's Champions League so far this year.

I think the only question I have for her in 2026 is how high can she really climb in everyone's world's best player rankings?

And I think it's going to be pretty high.

I think so.

And you know, shout out to Sandra Herrera who posted I think on Blue Sky about Melchi du Mornay being in the driver's seat for the ball and door and got a lot of cosigns from pretty much all, all, all of the, the wolf.

So who's who's kind of lining up behind that take.

And I, I was right there with everybody else.

I think it's a great take.

A little jealous of it.

I think du Mornay is is definitely on that track a little bit, maybe ahead of schedule, 22 years old, kind of scary to think about.

She's also second in the Premier League in assists with four so far the season.

First in the Premier League shot creating actions per 90, which is probably my absolute favorite stat if you're creating shots, especially on the own for, you know, those types of attacking players.

I mean, like at that level, leading the league that much, you know, creation.

That's exactly my kind of player.

And she's just so, I mean, just this dynamite like when she has a look and takes a look, it's probably one of the most exciting moments that you you'll you'll get in Woso.

I think it's absolutely true.

Yeah, Yeah, you're right.

Credit to the great Sandy Herrera and everybody else who saw our best 11 and then decided to cosign that take.

Let's go.

They weren't.

They weren't all cosigns.

I'm going to pick a player with with the second pick here that I was surprised to learn is under 26 years old.

And that is Barbara fucking Banda injured in 2025.

You know, obviously the, the The Shield and the NW Cell Championship wrestled away from my Orlando Pride, our Orlando Pride and there's not many players, let's call it 6-7, maybe 8 players that you could say on their best day are the the best player on the planet.

And I think that is been the ceiling.

Like I think when she's informed healthy cooking, the strength and conditioning is there.

She is just flat out in that this the best player in the planet conversation.

She's just, she is there.

And I think Orlando, even without Benda, a very prideful, no pun intended showing in the in the in the playoffs, kind of like even pushing the eventual champion Gotham, you know, kind of to the brink a little bit.

So I'm just going to be interested to see how Benda comes back, how Orlando comes back.

And again, still just 25 years old.

You talked about it, but these players are are at latest in their prime, but most of them in in their pre prime.

And Bend I think for some reason still feels like has a little bit more room to grow.

I think that's probably fair.

She's #4 on my big board.

Great pick by you.

Like you mentioned, she's going to be returning off injury this year.

So now we get to see like we saw how the team took off when she when she joined the club on the way to Orlando.

Prides double in 2024.

What's it going to look like now that she's back?

Obviously the greatest of all time.

Marta is one year older.

She's in her if, if Barbara Benda is in her pre prime, Marta is in her second prime, her third prime, her post prime, but that's still pretty much her prime.

Something like that.

And then you're going to see how Benda, Marta and Lizbeth Ovaye, you know, look on a team together when they're all healthy and ready to go.

I think it's exciting stuff.

Can't wait.

OK, third pick in the draft.

You're up.

I'm up.

Yeah, I'm going to do it.

Senior gal upset 20 year old Norwegian.

Now look, look, Phil, I talked about it when we did our our best 11 made sure she got the honorable mention.

Fifteen goals, 14 assists for the mighty SK Bron out of Bergen, Norway on the way to winning top Serian.

But now she's going to Tottenham Hotspur and you know, I think it's just going to be must see in the WSL.

How's her physicality and her smarts going to look?

I think you know it.

It's one of the things I'm I'm not usually one to tune into any Tottenham Hotspur matches, but I'll be locked in now.

I can't play be there.

I I'm not sure you can reach for galps at three, maybe maybe a little higher than I had her on my board.

But you know when when you got to get the player, you got to get the player.

So shout out to you do more day Galps at off to I mean crazy fast start a lot of muscle on that side.

So shout out to you.

So I I like the move.

I seen your I see you're seeing you gal upset.

And with the 4th pick in the draft, I raise you a Lillian Isabella, Johannes Strobe, Leon and our United States.

I can't even say that this is the other that other United States of America, you know, but shout out to Lily Johannes.

I think what makes me excited about Lily's 2026, obviously we see, you know, we, we tracked her career from early IX, you know, and you know, you see flashes, you see the moment you see the passes, you see the creator, you're like, OK, there's something here.

And now we got some matches under Lily's belt with Lyon and I think the early results are exciting.

She's also alongside du Mornay, 4 assists in the, in the Premier League, just at the almost at the very top of that league in terms of assists.

And then you and then I think 2025 was a, was a big year U.S.

National team for Lily as well.

Now it's sort of like how much of the potential are we going to see cashed in in 2026?

You know, I think we've already seen so much of it, but you like, there's just so much more.

You know, you can see the growth there just because you just see, you continue to see more flashes.

Like you'll see a flash and then over the next 12 months you'll see almost like the space get filled in and that just become a part of her game.

And then you'll see new flashes.

So it's sort of like if Johannes is sort of trending in that direction, where also could be knocking on the door of the very, very upper upper echelon of of the sport.

This is going to be a very interesting season, important season with a lot of opportunities forthcoming, you know, for Lyon in the league but also within the Champions League, you know, under extremely bright lights.

Exactly, it's a great point by you.

You mentioned the four assists in the Premier League, added another two goals in the Premier League in 617 minutes played.

She's a superstar, young talent playing on a super team, developing within that construct and that context under a super manager in Jonathan Heraldez.

So it's, you know, it's an A triple plus pick by you.

Great value there.

All right, draft starts at 5

All right, draft starts at 5:00.

I'm going to take there's.

So many good players here, but.

That's the, that's The thing is that I'm looking at the big board and I always say, hey, respect the big board and actually, you know, gob set the Lynx was #3 on my big board.

But I just had thought I was like, well, if I took Du Mornay, is he going to spite me and take upset?

So I needed to I needed to jump there.

So I'll just, I'll just do the thing #2 on my big board.

24 year old Barcelona player Claudia Pina.

Two on my big board too.

Nice pick.

Does she have another superhuman UEFA Women's Champions League run coming up?

Does Barcelona need her to have that?

Do they need it?

I don't know.

They got a lot of talent all over the field.

But we've we've talked about it.

You know, if they're going to get their mitts back on that Champions League trophy, I think she's going to have to come up big for him.

I think you're right about that and she's certainly trending that way.

I mean, you know, we we mentioned Sandra Herrera's pick for Bondora, Melche du Mornay got him.

Also mentioned her guy, Melissa's pick for Bondora, Claudia Pina.

I'm jealous of both of those.

I'm like, I feel it's going to be one of those two players.

Pina, her Champions League, her impact for Spain last year and especially in big moments was really something to behold.

It wasn't just placement, you know, being able to quiet the pressure, like some of those finishes were violent also just kind of sent a shiver through the opponent.

We're just like, oh, man, I thought we were in this and we're not in this.

So she had she just has a way of just, you know, just forcefully taking you out of the match.

You know it not just with you know the impact of it, but just I don't know, the style points and the just the real Thunder to her game.

I love that pick.

I had her two on my board, you know, and the big board went awry.

Did did me a little wrong, But shout out to you, my great pick.

I love.

I love peanut 5 appreciate that.

OK, now things were making things get a little tricky here.

I'm going to go a little spicy just because this player has, I mean, really made me kind of like a reset where I think her ceiling is.

And you know, just we we've got we've gotten lucky to see this player cloud Bull, you know, against some really fun competition.

Barcelona, you know, some of the top, you know, Champions League, you know, competition and just seeing Bull step up has been awesome.

And I think her what she's able to do from a distribution standpoint, really to be able to almost pick out anybody from that left hand side from from as deep as you want.

You know, it really kind of doesn't matter.

A little sliver of daylight and she's putting a ball in like her numbers and Fran Bundesliga, she's got 13 assists in the league.

Second is Georgia Stanley with seven.

I mean, you know, and I think like I was looking at some stats, the shock rating, I don't have it with up up here, but the shock rating per 90 in front Bundesliga, the top five was like 5 point O 5.15.45.69.5.

There we go.

She's just ahead of like the entire league and she's just unstoppable.

She's big, she's fast, she's got great ball skills.

And I told you her distribution is like on a wherever you want it, she's putting it there.

And she has a knack for like big moments in big games.

And that is kind of like something that Byron, they just didn't have that player that would step up in a big moment where, you know, where it would get a little dicey.

And it's like, OK, it's getting late.

And I think Bull is now become that player.

And it's sort of like everybody on that team knows she's that player.

Everybody opposing team knows she's that player.

And that could line her up for a huge 2026.

I love it.

It's fantastic pick by you.

You mentioned 13 assists in frown Bundesliga and still six goals in Frown Bundesliga.

Nothing to sneeze at there.

She has another six assists in the Champions League with another goal.

Yeah, you're spot on with all of it.

I won't, I won't belabor it.

She's an assist machine the way you know she can get down the wing, play the ball into the middle.

Absolutely fantastic player at 25 in that pre prime area.

2026 could be a gigantic year for.

All right, you're up 7 seven pick.

All right, let's see here.

Yeah, I might as well do it.

I will take 23 year old American Washington Spirit forward winger Trinity Rodman.

Where's she going to play?

Is she going to be healthy?

Will she remain healthy?

Does she have something to prove?

If we're talking about must watch under 26 in 26, I got to think that she's pretty high up there.

Yeah, and I think it's it's, I mean, she's obviously one of the best players, but it's also like all an important year like you mentioned.

I mean, the contract thing is is looming, but then it's on the pitch, you know, where is she going to play?

Like you know that?

And obviously her place is, I think, pretty safe on that Spirit side.

But the Spirit do have a lot of attacking, you know, just personnel and talent and, you know, just questions to answer.

And, you know, I was talking to you about this after the final.

It did kind of feel with how Trinity kind of was feeling, you know, like just that level of devastation.

I was just like, kind of feels like she's moving on after this.

And, you know, it's totally based on, you know, no inside information.

It just kind of felt that way, you know, and I and I think hearing Tom Bomb talk about Vladco post playoff loss and kind of like the shape he was in and that being a little bit of a precursor kind of it, it just rung the bell.

It reminded me of that trendy situation.

So I think for a lot of reasons, a super compelling player, super compelling story in 26.

Yeah, battled injuries last year, you know, five goals, 2 assists.

That's not a, that's not a Trinity Rodman season.

So I think it's going to be like, it's a great point by you.

Yeah, we're watching the contract on the pitch.

We want to see how she bounces back as well.

I'm going to go with the 8th pick.

Give me I'm going to stay in Washington.

Give me the 2023 Rookie of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Corey Bethune.

I think a lot of I don't want to say question marks, a lot of curiosity, you know, from my standpoint in terms of like what kind of years is Greg Bethune going to have, you know, a little older.

I think she's a year and a half or two years older than Trinity Rodman.

So, you know, definitely approaching that prime and a little bit of a step back, you know, in 2024 still makes the NWSL second team all 11, but was 120th in the league in minutes logged this season.

So now we're at two straight seasons where, you know, injuries kind of derailed things a little bit.

And I thought, but Bethune was a little bit less effective this second season and in the final kind of had a rocky performance.

Couldn't really find her way into the match.

And I think I just remember watching, especially in that first half, of course, got to get the ball down.

Like, I think, you know, it can't be that they're not getting me the ball.

Like I get the ball and get, get, get involved in this game.

And obviously it's still a young player, you know, with a lot of growth.

And I think that's what I'm be looking for in 2026, especially the spirit side.

This is now two years in a row where it's really it's kind of like a disappointing, real disappointing into the season and so much firepower, so much such a high ceiling with all those players.

I think Bethune is a real key.

For that side in 2026, could be, I don't know, it could be it's not a really a make or break, but if you're talking about which players are, are, are cracking that top 10 globally top 50, you know, like this is a big year for Bethune to be like, Hey, I'm I want to announce myself and, and kind of work my way into that conversation.

I think so.

It's a great point by you.

Five goals, 10 assists in a rookie of the year campaign.

That midfielder of the year campaign where she tied the all time the single season assist record in NWSL to two goals and two assists in her second season.

Now obviously she's coming back from the injury.

She needs to work her way back in.

It was a it was a bad injury that she was coming off of.

But Yep, totally agree.

You won't be surprised.

She was on my big board.

I've often referred to myself as the world's foremost owner in Cory Bethune stock.

So Needless to say, I will be watching too.

And I, and I think you're right, like at this age with with this development, you, you really want to see what we saw in that rookie season where it's like, OK, this player sees everything on the field.

And if she once she has that back playing with the full confidence, full fitness, I think that she can show get get me on all your lists again.

It it's funny that you bring that up because I had two.

It's funny.

I had AI had like a combo.

Now that I get down to the bottom of the list, we said mention 26 for 26 under 26.

My I don't know how long your short list is your long list.

I had a three different list when we got 35 players, one of them got 47 and there's a lot of overlap between the two.

And then that third one that we share has 74.

So I think we're definitely over 100 players that we considered, but I considered a couple other players that are both under 26 as a tandem.

So these are, this is not my official pick, but I kind of wanted to mention them here because I think it's it's correlated with the core Bethune situation and that's Gift Monday and Rose Quasi.

And I think Rose quasi what she was able to do from a creation standpoint, being able to feed Gift Monday, racking up assist, just those two players looking like Stockton Malone out there and they don't speak, they don't speak the same language.

I think we learned that Rose doesn't speak English and Gift Monday doesn't speak French.

So it's all just football talk out there between those two.

And you just wonder if like Rose's ball dominance and, you know, she's so hungry for the ball, you know, and I think you kind of see that even like I'm saying, against the run of the offense, she just wants to go get the ball.

You wonder if like that has kind of set Kroy off, not to the side a little bit, but maybe sort of a little bit of a monkey wrench in her development.

So from that standpoint as well, I'll be watching.

That's that makes Washington super compelling.

The Rodman thing, the Kroy thing, Rose and Gift Monday, Cantor.

You know, there's there's just so much there.

And a lot of it happens just just so happens to be under 26.

It's a great point by you.

I think it'll be interesting to watch.

How does she kind of gel in that attacking mix?

How do they start to kind of work with each other?

I mean, the service that she's able to provide, you know, you would think she should be, she should end up being a really good fit for them, especially you see her IQ on the field.

And that would just be horrible news for everybody in the NWSL because then you still have Sofia Kentori running around out there as well.

You know, obviously we'll see about the return of Trinity Rodman.

It could just be a bad time for all their opponents.

All right, this player is on some of those lists that we talked about.

I don't know if you had any plans on picking this player, but I'm just going to do it now.

We've each made 4 picks.

Do I have that right?

All right, so I'm just going to do it.

Felicia Schroeder, 18 years old out of BK Hacken.

How does 30 goals and 11 assists sound in a single season?

There's a lot of goals and Donald Spenskin for for BK Hacking, the 18 year old Swedish underbarn, which is Swedish for prodigy because that's exactly what she is now.

She did not make Sweden's Euro squad, but she made sure that she was going to announce herself and Donald Spenskin to say I'm not getting left off any squad moving forward.

She signed with Hacken in the summer of 25.

She signed with Hacken until 2029.

The reporting that I saw was that and well, poor journalism by me.

I'll come back.

I'll swoop back in the comments to see where I got the record, the reporting from.

I want to say it was either one football or maybe Goal.com.

I'll go back and look.

I'll make sure I give you guys credit.

My apologies there, but she was, she was drawing interest from.

Tell me if you've heard of these teams, Chelsea, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Lyon and Wolfsburg.

We're all interested in her services and she stayed in Sweden.

Yeah, for some reason, I think in Germany, there's something about her game that feels, I feel like would which would just knife through that that German league.

She's such an exciting player, great finisher obviously, and just way behind beyond you beyond her years.

Every time I hear how how how old she is, it's it's pretty wild and just such a bummer not to have hacking, you know, go deep this year in the in the Champions League.

Hopefully we get we get them back next year, but she's got so many more years to come.

Excited to see what her 2026 looks like for sure.

No doubt.

Yeah, I something tells me hacking will be back.

Let's see, All right, 10th pick.

Only one Barcelona player taken so far.

Give me, I'm going to take the Lady Kika of Nazareth.

Outstanding.

23 years old, four goals, 5 assists so far in League F this season.

Battled some injuries, 2025, just one goal, though, in five Champions League matches so far, 123 minutes in the Champions League.

So absolutely going to be looking for some of that league form to trickle into the Champions League, especially as the competition gets tougher.

But I mean, we had such high hopes for Kika and you already know what our skill set is.

You know, you know what's possible there.

But it just seems like from a spot on the pitch, you know, scenario or, you know, just kind of like a minutes chemistry hasn't totally fully, fully, fully taken.

Now there's a lot of big high stakes champs league football to be played.

And I'm basically going to be looking for, can that happen, especially considering, you know, all those Barcelona players either shelved for the season or working their way back?

It's a great call.

I, I, we just want to see her play more football.

I mean, you know, she was injured during the EUR.

She was not.

She was very clearly not 100%, still made an impact as much as she could when she got on the pitch.

She was dynamite in those friendlies versus US women's national team over here in the States.

She signed through 2028 with Barcelona.

I would love to see her get more Champions League time specifically.

We'll see how the rotations work out.

I'm totally with you.

I'm going to be super locked in.

Hell yeah.

All right, 11th pick, you're up.

All right, let's see here now just to let people behind the curtain.

We Dino and I had had talked a little bit.

Dino was like, you know, I'm, I'm going to try to create some balance that.

Went out the window.

Pick some players.

And then I was just kind of looking at my list.

I was like, oh, maybe I could try that.

And I was just like, I got a lot of attacking players.

You know what I like?

I like to watch people score goals, you know, sue me, I will take then this could be our second Bayern.

Bayern Munchen Bayern Munich player 20 year old Japanese international Momoka Tanakawa 3 Three starts in frown Bundesliga last year, 12 starts in 14 appearances.

This season she has six goals in one assistant league play, two goals in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

She has exhilarating skill and intelligence at 20 years old and you know, we talked about it what she's going to play.

Bayern plays the winner of at Letty and Manchester United, if I remember correctly.

So I look forward to that and I look forward to monitoring her progress in frown Bundesliga as it goes.

I, I said it a few weeks ago when we were talking about the Champions League.

I, I don't know, it's probably not that hot of a take.

I feel a star turn coming.

I think it could happen this year.

Yeah, 'cause it's like we're we're starting to see to Tanakawa's game, fill in some of those gaps too.

It's not just a spectacular, you know, action once every four matches.

She's she's playing really solid week in, week out.

She's clocking 0.44 non penalty XG per 90, which puts her I think like, yeah, like roughly top 20 in front Bundesliga.

The equivalent in the end of USL would be like Minaka Matkubu, Raylan Turner area, you know, which is like, you know, no BS, especially for a 20 year old in a tough league and tonic.

I was going to have a lot of you know, I mentioned with with the Clark, the cloud book conversation.

Byron's going to play in some big matches, I think bigger matches.

And then we've been used to over the last few years.

I think they've got they've got a little Champions League, you know, runway this season and they've got a they've got a roster that's pretty stacked.

I think they'd be disappointed not to end up in the semifinal.

So we'll we'll see if if those couple players that we mentioned, you know, can can make it happen.

Right.

So now we're sitting at 12.

I completely whiffed.

There's there's two names at the very top of my boards.

I just, I just kind of got maybe a little bit bored with the top of my boards and I started to, you know, scroll and try to find some names that I liked the the best remaining player shot Mel Kiper, Lauren James.

I think what if we're talking ceilings and we're talking how, how high does this ceiling stretch?

I think LJ for me is one of those players where you know, her absolute best is maybe better than any, you know, like it's in that conversation, you know, like if if Chelsea goes out and has an LJ day or if England goes out and LJ has an LJ day, you're you're going to lose like that.

That is a player that can single handedly beat you with creativity, with finishing with, you know, high leverage tip the game kind of moments.

And again, still still super young and we've seen her play big, play big and big games.

We should just need to get a little bit healthier.

So there's just too many stop and starts for LJ.

So I'm really hoping for, you know, just a steady let let let's let's get a clean season from LG and I and I bet she blows the roof off.

There you go.

I want I want to see the same thing.

So it's thirteen goals in WSL play in the 2324 season, only three in the 2425 season.

Obviously, like you said, battling injury, trying to fight through all that.

Totally with you.

This has been a pro Lauren James podcast from the day it started when we were watching Chelsea when we kicked off covering UEFA Women's Champions League.

Great pick by you.

I got to tell you I was trying to think about this in terms of sports siblings.

Usually I feel pretty similar about each sibling, you know, like the, the, the feelings aren't very disparate.

The the biggest gulf between my feelings about 1 sibling and another between Lauren James and Reece James as we're I realized I I came to this realization watching Manchester City play Chelsea over the weekend in men's football.

I realized, man, for somebody who really likes Lauren James and likes to watch her play, I do not quite have the same feeling about her brother Reese.

That's a great one.

I mean, I don't Julia Roberts, Eric Roberts, I don't know is Eric Roberts.

I it's you got to really, you got to really fan out.

But I'm.

Not familiar with the mind?

Bender I don't think he's curating as his eye as old Julius, but either way I mean the my I can't I can't get anywhere to your a good answer for your mind Bender, so props to you.

That was a great one.

I appreciate it.

I mean, like, you know, like Steph Curry and Seth Curry, like you, like, I like watching Steph Curry play.

I don't have a problem with Seth Curry, you know what I mean?

I was just like, OK, yeah, cool.

Seth's out there.

Like, you know, you can shoot a little bit, you know, you think about like the, you know, the Morris twins, like whatever, neutral, totally fine.

Venus and Serena Williams loved them both actually.

I mean, I was a big, big tennis fan when I was a kid.

I loved Venus Williams.

She was like one of my favorite players.

And I was like, and when Serena came up, I was like, well, she can't be better than Venus.

Bad take by me turns out.

But you know, like them both.

So again, nothing against Reese.

Personally don't like why shouldn't play.

Yeah, no, I hear you.

I mean, I I'm a big Aussie Conseco guy.

Jose, there it is.

OK, 13, you're up.

All right, we're talking about Barcelona players.

I thought you were going to select this player, so I might as well do it.

22 years old.

You can go.

Ahead.

Yeah.

And they're a lot that you need.

They're a lot to choose from.

You might have thought I was thinking of somebody else.

I'll take the the 22 year old Spanish international playing for Barcelona, Selma Bariuello, who is out of contract with Barcelona this summer.

So that will be interesting to see.

Does the club believe she is a cornerstone piece?

I would think so.

I mean, I realize she's had like a little bit of a down season before the injury, you know, the production was down, but she should be coming back I think.

So she got hurt in like late October, they reported it was like an 8 to 10 week injury.

So she should be coming back early this year.

And I, you know, I, I think in those contract years, you, you see how players are able to bounce back and able to like really lock in and do what they got to do.

And a locked in Selma better Uelo would be very very helpful for Barcelona.

No doubt the the contract situation is a real pickle because obviously coming off the 23 World Cup and so almost 23 for Barcelona stock couldn't couldn't have been higher at that point.

And I think, you know, took a little bit of a step back that coincided with, you know, Claudia, PETA just going supernova.

For sure.

It's going to be interesting to see because I mean, I think do you get the feeling that like sometimes there's a future star trajectory and then when you hit a point where you're like, OK, well, that feature start trajectory, it's not exactly the same.

We're not going to get exactly the same as we were imagining, but we still might get something awesome that looks a little different and and maybe it's just as good, but it looks different than I think we're expecting.

And I think that's what makes the Barrio season to watch so interesting.

It's like we don't know what kind of player she's going to ultimately settle into because she's got a lot of tools and she's still very raw.

And it's almost like that team has a lot of players that aren't very raw.

So there is some kind of mismatch And you you see a little bit of like, you know, you, you just kind of wish that was not like a different situation, but maybe a couple other players that could play off by the way, a little bit better, that could maybe unlock her a little bit.

Either way, this this is going to be incredibly compelling when she comes back.

Can she kind of like carve out some space because at that point there will be to some, some new kind of norms established even in a small scale, right?

So it's like there will be players that that will have stuff under their belt in that jersey.

So it's going to be super interesting to see it in the contract.

That's just another layer of intrigue.

Exactly.

And I and I honestly, I would be extremely surprised if Barcelona does not financially take care of her.

Make sure that she's locked in with the club moving forward.

Now, if they if they don't, and I know Selma watches the podcast.

Look, Seattle is a really nice place to live.

You would be the fastest player in the NWSL immediately.

Well, you'd be in a foot in a foot race with Barbara Benda and Tim Munchwink is the fastest players in the league.

But I believe in you.

So I think you could be say, and you're marketable.

You've made these lists before.

So whatever the the voodoo of the high impact player rule, I'm sure we could work this thing out financially.

You know, I would, I would consider it some, yeah.

Definitely high impact potential from someone.

Parabello.

This is a player.

Zero clue.

None.

No clue how this player lasted to 14.

Give me from my Blancos one of the most exciting cafeterias ever to lace them up.

Linda Kaiseto.

Yeah, no.

I I can't agree.

Yeah, I.

Every every time I started my list, she was like the second or third name I I would jot down and somehow I just kind of kept looping around, but I'm glad I landed on Kaiseto potential off the charts.

You know, you already know we that the flashes.

Let me ask you this because I, you know, I kind of feel like I I hate putting so many players in my top five.

I hate I hate putting like 13 players in my top five.

But when I say to you, and we'll do a little side, a little show within the show here, give me your top three names of I've got 12 minutes and I want to watch three players, their absolute best highlights from their entire professional career in Wasso.

Who are the three names that you're picking?

The reason I ask give you a little filibuster.

I think for Mika, I say those highlights what she's able to do with the dribble, with the finish, just the Okie doke leave lead defenders on the floor and and it also has a little like samba to it.

It also like her.

The footwork is just impeccable and I don't know it.

It feels like she's not even like messing with the blades of grass under her cleats as she's like taking these steps.

It's almost like, you know, there's like a little, it's a little air pocket, you know, she's kind of floating and then she's just taking your heart after.

So I think for me, Kaisena was in that top three of players where it's like, I'll gladly burn 5-6 minutes of YouTube pilots.

I love it.

No, it's a great, it's a great way to think about players.

I mean, I think we've already named two.

You drafted one, I drafted the other.

I would probably put Lauren James just because of the shiftiness, like in her highlights, the being able to score from distance, kind of doing that stuff.

I would probably put her in that class.

I would think about Trinity Rodman in that, in that class, when you think about the physicality, the trend spin, like the moves that she's able to have the finishing.

I I think, you know, I think CGH is in that mix of a player who you just kind of see come off the wing and just be able to do stuff.

But Kai Sato is a is a great call there because the the combination of speed and skill and she and she has good highlights that we've talked about for Real Madrid where she'll take the ball down the left wing and she will serve in like just a bullet pass for a tapping that I think creates some really great highlights too.

Yeah, no doubt.

I think, and we've talked about that Real Madrid season, you know, this is like a a big year for them.

And we'd be like kind of knocking on the door.

This year feels like the knock is getting a little bit more pronounced.

And you could kind of see a track where a team like that could find themselves in the semifinals in Champions League, maybe deeper.

We'll see when they're when they're really cooking, they look really good.

But they still have those outings where they look flat and they look very, very beatable.

So we'll see what kind of team shows up.

And either way, I mean, I'm not that it's season, it's league pass, season pass.

I want to think about that for Crusader, for your boy.

We're 14 picks in 12 to go.

Let's round out.

Let's ran out there.

We're not even round out these rosters.

We picked a bunch of we picked 14.

Just go a bit like absolute goal scorer creator players pretty much.

But I don't know, we'll see.

We'll see how we ran out the rest of roster.

1212 picks to go.

You're up 15th pick in the draft.

Yeah, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to pick another goal scorer.

I think it's a massive season for 25 year old US Women's National Team staple 2 time NWSL MVP2 time Golden Boot winner for the Portland Thorns, Sophie Wilson.

She exercised her option with Portland Thorns Football Club and for the 2026 season and as it is well documented she is coming off of maternity leave.

How big of a season will she have?

What kind of an impact will she have for an already good Portland Thorns club that was great without her and with her on a one year deal?

Again, I don't mean to do too much contract talk here, but what's that going to look like?

And what does it look like when she goes to to ownership and I guess ownership inevitably goes to the league, I guess to say, hey, are we allowed to sign this great face of the league player for a good for a good deal?

What's all that going to be look like?

And Needless to say, in the Pacific Northwest, I will be locked in.

Could be 1 to watch.

I mean they don't get more high impact then Sophia.

I want to stay in Portland.

Obviously, you know Wilson's a player that we're going to be locked in for sure, especially considering the year that Portland had and I think just the setup for last season.

I know Wilson no Sinclair, whether they do how they going to score they and they finished the year in 3rd.

And I know, I know this is not how sports works.

Football works.

You don't just plug a player in and you know, all things remain the same.

But it is going to be interesting to see, you know what it looks like with Wilson, you know, at the tip of the spear potentially or or up on the left.

And that leads me to to my pick, the 16th pick in the draft, our midfielder of the year, first team, all 11.

And to be a seller last season, Olivia Moultrie, who will be probably involved in some interplay with Sophia Wilson.

And a player that was excellent, had a fantastic season last year and could probably have really used one other player to kind of get it to you and really take some of the pressure off.

You know, you saw that Portland side, you know, kind of have to manufacture goals, get a little creative.

Sam Coffee have to leak way, way, way up, up the pitch to the kind of get involved in the attack there.

It's going to be interesting to see, you know, these players are going to figure it out.

These are two extremely high IQ players.

But I don't think Sophia Wilson has seen this version of Olivia Moultrie.

And if they can work it out, you know, in the offseason and kind of show up, you know, already for, you know, not quite on third base, but maybe like rounding first, you know, and they're I think that could really be it could put the league on notice a little bit, could put the league on on on its back foot a little bit because that that is going to give defenses headaches trying to stop those two, especially with Sam Coffey, you know, in the mix, you know, providing service, you know, kind of getting the whole thing started from the back.

I love it.

Yeah, I'll be.

I'll be very interested to see it.

And like I said, you know, planning a contract year.

Look, Sophie, you already live in the Pacific Northwest.

If things don't work out with Portland Thorns, look, it's a couple hour train ride.

You could get everything up here pretty easily.

You just come play for Seattle Rain Football Club, Everything will be fine.

Sophie, you want to play with Sama buddy?

Exactly.

Come on.

Like we're, we're building something here.

I love it.

All right, all right, let's get back to us building something.

17th pick in the draft.

Who do you like?

Oh wait, didn't I take Sophie Wilson?

I took Moultrie.

I confused.

Oh, yeah.

And then you took Moultrie.

Yeah, Yeah.

What am I doing?

Sorry, I got, I got weight loss there.

I I don't know why.

I then just decided to just do my Sophie Wilson bit after that.

Sorry buddy.

We were talking Portland.

I know you.

Always.

OK, so let's see here we've each made 8 picks.

We're picking 13 each.

All right, so I, I got, I got plenty of time here.

So I am going to select let's let's take it back to Spain.

21 year old Spanish international for Atletico Madrid, Fiamma six goals 2 assists in in Liga F Smart and physical skilled.

How far can she push at Letty versus Manchester United?

How far can she continue to push at Letty up the Liga F table?

I will be watching.

Cannot wait.

I I I'm not going to take this player, but I want to give her a shot.

22 year old Luani fraud Letty, I think you're leading Liga F and assists with 7 five goals.

That gives her twelve goal contributions.

She's the only player in the top 6 of league F and goal contributions that doesn't pay for Barcelona.

So shout out to Lulani, teammate of Fiona and a tandem that I think could really I'm not sure they can make a little noise, but maybe within a match they could make some noise.

We'll we'll be locked in either way.

I think it's going to be a big year for both of those players and I'd let the cannot wait to see.

I mean, Fiona, I mean, that's that's an exciting, I mean, that's our like an exciting rock'n'roll player if I've ever seen one.

I love, love, love her game.

Somebody will be watching for sure.

Fiama off the board, 18th pick in the draft.

Let's see, I'm a little light on attackers.

So who do I want to look at here for some firepower Now give me.

Yeah, I'm going to take Minaka Matekubo.

For some reason, NWSL has been fields of the year, but for a very good reason.

First team, all 11 in the NWSL last season still I believe.

Just 21 years old and fantastic player, thoughtful player, player.

I got to talk to you after the NWSL awards.

Like I said, just, you know, kind of like speaks and thinks, answers and kind of like what she was going to say and kind of like you could see that the cerebral nature of kind of how she lives her life.

Kind of some Jonah Geraldo's vibes talking to Monica.

But I think still very much a scratch in the surface.

I think a lot of people were excited about what she was going to be able to do this season.

I think she kind of exceeded expectations.

And that was a little bit up against the 8 ball in North Carolina.

A lot of tumult and an offense that just kind of, you know, took a long, took a long time to get warmed up in the old driveway in the old driveway.

So everything she was able to do kind of had to do it the hard way.

So we'll see if, if this season the courage kind of like start to structure the offense maybe a little bit more around Matsukubo.

And I think that that could only do them, you know, the like positive basically, if, if, if that's the route they want to take.

Cuz she's just such a fantastic, productive player.

Has to be considered the cornerstone of their club right now, right?

Like, you know, North Carolina Courage obviously has great history, one of the better clubs in the history of the league.

So yeah, I think it's it's a great call by you.

She's a dynamite player.

I know our our pal Tombaum and the Kansas City current episode made made a little fun of Matsukubo being named midfielder of the year, which he was in such an attacking position throughout the season.

But hey, you know, she, she collected a nice, a nice trophy for herself.

I look forward to to seeing her build on it for sure.

No doubt 19.

I can't imagine, you know, this, this player probably probably on your big board somewhere.

We've talked about the the size and and depth of this big board, but I'm just going to I'm going to take her here.

Julie Blackstead, 24 year old Norwegian out of Hammerby as it stands right now.

She had fifteen goals and six assists and 26 starts.

She played in every league match in Domel Svenskin.

She didn't play much at all in her stint with Manchester City Football Club before she signed with Hammerby, but recent reports have linked the young goalscorer with Tottenham Hotspur.

That's right, to join the Martin Hoes squad and fellow Norwegian senior Gaupset.

What are you building over there, Martin?

What are you trying to do with Tottenham Hotspur?

Are you trying to make Tottenham Hotspur into a winner?

What are you, what are you doing?

I'm I'm.

I'm.

Curious what's going on?

On your end with with Tottenham, are you kind of like are you second screening this?

What's, I mean, is there a budding, Is there something I got to be locked in, you know?

Blossoming here.

I mean, I know we're.

Getting ready for 26, but got it.

You got to shout out those moves, these.

Are some serious Look, I mean it.

Love blacks that it wasn't on my list but.

Great pick by.

You I appreciate it.

Yeah.

And then look if Martin.

If Martin Hoe's our guy and if he's going to he, he brings the links from Bron, he's bringing more Norwegian players to Tottenham, you know, I got no choice but to watch.

I like it.

I don't like that it's Tottenham, but two players, whoever had the over 1 1/2 done that one cashed.

All right, I've got, I've got 4.

More picks.

She's only.

Linked so far.

And we?

Seem very very.

Excited about this.

I've got 4 picks and I want to you know, you, you mentioned that you had time, which kind of makes me think that you've got some, some, some pet.

Pics that you're looking at.

But I'm, I'm still looking at so many names that I don't know, really know what I'm about to do who, who do I really am?

I very compelled by watching this year.

You know who I'm going to pick.

I can't do that, can't pick her over that player I got.

I got to do it.

As the internet's premier purveyor of Boschia ball, you started to try this draft with the player from Lyon, Melchi Duornay.

I'm going to throw Dumar.

Dumar is my favorite, favorite player.

Watch maybe the on the planet right now.

But I think Basha right there from a Leon standpoint, when Basha ball is really cooking and have balls bending in and it just looks like, I don't know, it looks like that that golf ball, that CBS golf ball tracking.

He was just like the beautiful, you know, flight of it.

You see the, the, the background parallax view, everything looks great.

And then somebody gets their head on it at Chowinga or Adiani.

There's just nothing more beautiful in in the women's game than Vasha ball to me.

So I, I think I have to have to have to have to I cannot let some of Vasha slip any further than the 20th pick in the draft Already way, way, way too late.

It's great pick by you.

I mean she.

She adds so much to a team full of superstars.

We talked about it when we talked about Lily Johannes being a a budding superstar and a team of superstar.

Basha fits right into that mold.

The passing, the intelligence, the the toughness.

Great pick by you you.

You have single handedly turned this into the official Basha Ball Podcast on the Internet.

So it's a great pick by you and a fitting pick, I would say.

Appreciate that, man.

All right.

We're getting stretched.

Right.

No, we cannot waste picks here.

We can't we.

Absolutely cannot waste picks here.

I have like 80 more names.

We've got 6 spots.

I don't no pressure Speaking of like.

Not.

Yeah, like we.

You know there's no wasting.

Of any picks, I mean this is this is the greatest, best 26 under.

26 in.

26 list on the Internet.

So there I don't think we're we're going to waste any picks.

But you you mentioned yours.

You were surprised some of basha lasted this long.

I might as well do it here because I I've also sort of abandoned the big board in this players way up 21 year old American International playing for Chelsea Football Club.

That would be Alyssa Thompson.

I think we should be very interested in how she plays football this season.

Made the move from Angel City Football Club to Chelsea and she's playing well, looking strong, looking fast.

And what does that mean for her development?

I think it's going to be very much worth watching.

I think she's.

Already looked?

Really.

Good so far at Chelsea, you know, and that's not always the case, you know, with the American players, but I think she's kind of dropped in and for whatever reason, it's been a really good mix of her skills and kind of what Chelsea needed, especially on the left hand side.

She looks so fast her in Baltimore.

I think it's a kind of a nice pairing in terms of like being able to run and take different angles and just take different parts of the pitch and work off each other really good.

I I mean Alyssa Thompson, I cannot believe another player.

I can't believe we're at 21 and we're just getting to Alyssa Thompson a a real testament.

And again, this is just 2025 and under essentially under 26 and this is how much talent there isn't a sport.

It really is like overflowing an exciting time again, exciting year to kind of like be heads down into the sport.

I'm going to take now with the 22nd pick a player that that we also spoke to after the end of his Cell championship still.

Just 22 years old.

Bruninia I mean, you think about a player that gets dropped into the end of BSL and just immediately looks the part is playing what I don't want to say immediately because you know, there there was some some rocky moments there.

And I know there's some folks on the Internet that will check me on that.

But when it when it came down to winning time, I mean, she played really, really great down the stretch.

Did not look like a player, you know, that young just look like a championship player.

You know, and we were lucky enough to to talk to me after the match and you know, was it I was OK Where's where's that moment rank, You know, that assist that you put into to Roosevelt.

She's thought about it for a second.

She says, number one, that that's the number one moment of my career.

And I kind of get the feeling that when it's all said and done, might not that might not end up being the the the the career number one.

There might be a moment or two that that kind of is even able to surpass.

I think she's that special a player.

Yeah, I.

The moment in the championship match was absolutely phenomenal.

I mean, she's been, she's been at Gotham for a little while.

I might need to I might need to Fact Check myself here a little bit.

I believe she played for Santos in in Brazil before she went to went to Gotham.

But it's a great beat by you.

Sneaky, sneaky young player.

23.

Years old.

I mean, it's a.

It's a great call.

Great call by you is that, you know, she plays so beyond her years that I think she's just one of those players where I'm like, Oh yeah, she you know, she's got to be like mid 20s at this point and she's not even there yet.

So pre prime Bruninia is what we're watching for the bats right now.

That should that's a scary proposition for everybody in the league.

Yep.

Excellent.

Player right, You got two more picks.

To go I'm not going to tell you to make them count I'm.

Not I'm gonna stop trying to get in.

Your head with these last year well I mean I hated that I.

With one of my picks.

I was like, oh, I got plenty of time and now I got 2 picks left.

I'm like, well, I want to pick seven different players.

So that's not that's not great.

You kind of maybe, you know, I was thinking it back a little.

Bit you said that was like, I was like flipping.

I'm like, am I what?

I was a little sorry 'cause I think there's so many good players.

Yeah, it was an it was just me being.

Insane is why I said that.

And I just said no awareness of where I was.

All right, So I will take Yeah, I might as well.

I might as well do a 21.

Year old Japanese.

International for Manchester City Football Club Albufugino.

4 goals, 2 assists and 9 starts this season for my Sky Blues.

Plays with unbelievable skill and style.

I think she's only barely scratched the surface of her potential.

She picked up a small issue according to the club in December.

I haven't seen much reporting after that, but in order for City to kind of keep up this pace and and and hopefully win the league, I think she'll have to play a big part.

Yeah, no doubt.

And I think.

Super high ceiling.

Another player.

Fujina is one of those players that I think is still in the spectacular flashes.

Stage.

You know where it's like, Yep, you know, can can you graduate from spectacular flashes to spectacular flashes plus consistent week in, week out contributor?

You know, I think like she's kind of like at that yeah, that, you know, crossroads of her career for sure, but super fun for her to watch.

I'm so bummed that I only have two picks here.

I'm going to cheat a little.

Bit kind of smuggle in one player.

Because these players kind of.

Kind of kind of match the same sort of profile of US young center back defender type and that is like in the 1/8 slide.

I think it's got to be Jordan Buck, you know, like just sealing unlimited from a defensive standpoint can do anything athletically can do anything.

So it's like how high, how high is the ceiling for this player?

And then I think for me, San Diego wave, Trinity Armstrong, another player had a 2007 next to her name and FB ref thought you'd enjoy that.

Probably a couple years before we we we met, but Trinity.

I'm sorry, I think.

Has that same ceiling from a kind of defender standpoint, a little bit, a little bit like tracking a little bit.

Behind Jordan bug.

But I think those two players could be, you know, they they're they both have they're both first of all, far from their ceiling.

And you could see the ceiling and you could already see, you know, how effective each of those players.

I was shocked kind of how San Diego was able to say, all right, we're going to go to a back three and put like a 17 year old Trinity Armstrong in the middle and we'll survive.

And you know, to Armstrong creator was able to hold up.

And I think even still, bug is probably half a notch higher.

So I think I had those two players in in in sort of like lumped in the same kind of category of like, how good can these players get?

But I'm going to be, I'm going to be for sure locked in to to those young defensive superstars.

Yeah, 22 great picks so.

You're Is there an official pick?

Here, Jordan Boggs.

Official one or you just, I mean, OK, all right, that's fair.

No, I like it.

I like where your.

Head's at it's is it?

No, it's a it's a clever move by you.

Yeah.

I mean, I'll have a front row seat.

I'll be I'll be covering the club again this year.

So I'll be interested to see I you know, she's she's a genius.

She's a Co centerpiece of, you know, the US women's national team center back pairing.

I think in the future, I mean, obviously we have to see, you know, Tina Davis's return with Naomi Kerma.

And I think the big thing with Jordan Bug is you had a great campaign in the NWSL.

Can you do it again?

And I think it's a question you have to ask of rookies.

And I, I got to tell you, I, I would be shocked if you asked people throughout the league, do you think Jordan Bug can do that again?

I would be shocked if hardly anybody had any.

The 26 U26 Footballers To Watch In '26 ⚽️

Episode Transcript

Never lose your place, on any device