Alisha Lehmann, more than a media asset for Switzerland, ahead of its Euro 2025 quarter-final

Whether at her club, Juventus Turin, or with her national team, Swiss footballer Alisha Lehmann is more often on the bench than in the starting eleven. This situation is expected to repeat itself on Friday, July 18 at 9 p.m. in Bern (Switzerland), when the Nati face Spain, the reigning world champions, in the quarter-finals of the Euro football championship .

The striker is, however, one of the leading figures in the world of football in her country, and beyond. Her 17 million followers on the Instagram platform attest to this. None of her counterparts, even international ones, have a better following. For example, American icon Alex Morgan has "only" 9.6 million; Spaniards Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, both two-time Ballon d'Or winners, are far behind the Swiss player with 3.2 million and 1.9 million followers respectively.

While Alisha Lehmann's on-field "joker" role may seem out of step with her popularity, it does make sense in sporting terms. The Swiss national team, which has qualified for the knockout stage of the continental tournament for the first time, boasts a solid roster—notably captain Lia Wälti (32) and defender Noëlle Maritz (29)—as well as the emergence of a talented young generation—notably defender Iman Beney (18), midfielder Sydney Schertenleib (18), and striker Leila Wandeler (19). With eight goals in 60 appearances, 26-year-old Alisha Lehmann, who made her debut for the Swiss national team in 2017, falls into neither of these categories.

Since the start of this Euro 2025 at home, she has played only nine minutes, with, in addition, an unexpected move to right-back. This has made the former English league player, who has played for West Ham, Everton, and Aston Villa, the target of criticism, who believe that she owes her selection solely to her status as an athlete-influencer.

A privileged partner of a sports betting brand, an energy drink, and even the face of a lingerie brand, Alisha Lehmann doesn't confine her professional career to the football pitch and knows how to play with her image with agility. This has earned her a lot of criticism – unlike her male counterparts who operate in a similar way . But she stands by her position: "We need this, " she explained before the Euro. "We can't grow women's football without social networks, TV, and the media. We just have to find the best way to use them."

The public's enthusiasm for the Swiss team has been palpable since the start of the tournament, and Alisha Lehmann is no stranger to it. On July 10, nearly 4,000 people traveled to Bern to watch the Swiss national team practice, cheering on the native Swiss—she was born about fifteen kilometers away—and asking for selfies.

Coach Pia Sundhage and her teammates have not hesitated to step up to defend the striker against her critics, insisting on her undeniable contribution to the team's cohesion. According to the Swiss daily Blick , Alisha Lehmann is the team's "chief motivator ," having been responsible for pre-match speeches since the one preceding the victory against Iceland on July 6 in the group stage.