Alisha Lehmann is one of the most prominent faces in women’s football.

Phenomenon Alisha Lehmann: Social media star fights for the European Championship

An incredible 16,7 million followers on Instagram, plus 12 million on TikTok. In the world of women's football, no one is as well-known as Alisha Lehmann. At least when it comes to her social media accounts. However, ahead of the European Championship at home, the 26-year-old Swiss player is worried about her place in the squad.

June 17, 2025

From: dpa

"Can Switzerland afford such a prominent absence?" is a question not only asked by the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung." More importantly, can this sport, which is fighting for greater visibility at all levels, afford it?

“If Lehmann receives a rejection, it is not just a footballer who is missing, but a phenomenon,” writes the NZZ about the striker from Tägertschi in the canton of Bern. After all, Lehmann reaches "as many people as Roger Federer, Yann Sommer, and Granit Xhaka combined" with each post, almost as many as tennis icon Serena Williams (18,1 million on Instagram) and more than 25 times as many as the popular German captain Giulia Gwinn (642.000).

More followers than Federer, Sommer and Xhaka combined

Her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, mascara, pointed lips, and tight shorts – that's how fans know Alisha Lehmann on the pitch. Her photos and videos on Instagram: with the ball at training, celebrating the championship with her club Juventus Turin, where the 59-time international is teammates with South Tyrolean Eva Schatzer, but currently doesn't have a regular place. And often bikini photos and scenes with stylish outfits.

Alisha Lehmann is currently under contract with Juventus. © ANSA / Alessandro Di Marco

The attacker is likely among the top female soccer players who earn more from social media advertising than from their club. The exact amounts are unknown, but this business model is extremely lucrative for superstars. Especially for the number one in the rankings: Cristiano Ronaldo – who has 657 million followers on Instagram – reportedly earns up to three million US dollars for a single advertising post.

"Followers have become a kind of currency. Especially in sports that aren't as consistently in the spotlight as men's football," writes Bayern Munich star player Gwinn in her book "Write Your Own Story." She adds: "Social media is crucial for the visibility of women's football."

With your own DNA for media visibility

Sports offer a promising opportunity to gain media visibility, says Jana Wiske, a media scientist at Anspach University. "Sports has a fundamentally positive connotation. It's about athleticism, aesthetics, health, and success. To achieve this, you can try—and Alisha Lehmann succeeds brilliantly—to create a certain recognition value in this complex world of sports, of football."

Alisha Lehmann is also a star off the football field. © ANSA / Alessandro Di Marco

Lehmann has developed her own DNA. "This has primarily to do with her looks, which she uses skillfully. People recognize her, which is a crucial point. She represents attractiveness and a certain lifestyle," Wiske explained. "What's surprising is that she's not all that successful in sports."

Hard fight for a place in the European Championship squad

Interview requests for Lehmann are currently being declined by her British management, "as her focus is on the Swiss national team." The former Aston Villa player was partially absent from national coach Pia Sundhage's squad this year, which began its European Championship preparations in Magglingen with 35 players. "I'm someone who never gives up. I train very hard and give everything to ensure that I'm ultimately selected," Lehmann recently said.

Alisha Lehmann wants to make the European Championship squad. © APA/afp / SANKA VIDANAGAMA

The 23-man squad won't be announced straight away; instead, fans can find out who the European Championship participants are in a kind of scavenger hunt ("The Chase"). The big question: Will Lehmann be among those announced on June 23? Or will the figure Switzerland is using to promote its tournament be missing?

“She is already a phenomenon”

Naturally, the Swiss player also receives a lot of malice and ridicule on social media, especially because of her open-hearted presentation. "We see that Alisha Lehmann invests just as much as everyone else," emphasized "Nati" captain Lia Wälti in SRF"She has enormous ambition, and her priority is football. People judge things very quickly, so I think you have to be careful."

Lehmann himself told the newspaper 20 Minutes: "I've gotten older now, and I don't care. I actually find all the criticism funny. If someone criticizes me for my makeup, I just wear the dark lipstick on purpose so they have more to talk about."

She's in demand among fans like no other: Alisha Lehmann. © APA/afp / SANKA VIDANAGAMA

Lehmann doesn't let herself be deterred in her desire for self-expression, says media expert Wiske. "She also allows for a closeness and takes you into her world. She's truly a phenomenon."

Whether Lehmann will be allowed to play at the European Championships will also be of interest to television broadcasters, she believes. "Something's changing: The reach of athletes' own channels is now also a deciding factor in whether something is shown live in the traditional media."