Finland: Hidden Footy Gem of the North
Nestled away in the northern part of the world, lies the small arctic nation of Finland. With the national sport of Finland being Baseball, and consequently being a world Ice Hockey powerhouse, not much attention is shined on Football in this tiny nation. What people might not realize, is that Finland is an incredible country for the development and exporting of young footballers to clubs all around the world. Today, I hope to shine a light on some of the young talent that have developed in the North, and are now making waves all around the world.
Topi Keskinen
Topi is an interesting character to watch. Having been born in Espoo, Keskinen moved to the Eastern Finland town of Mikkeli, where he started playing in the youth sides of Mikkelin Pallolijat FC. (MP is also the club that legendary goalkeeper, Jussi Jaaskelainen spent his formative years, and made his professional debut.) Keskinen signed with the MP first team in 2019. After helping MP gain promotion from the third tier of the Finnish game to the second, Topi signed a three year deal with Mikkeli. He would go on to sign a three year deal with Finnish giants, HJK Helsinki at the end of 2022. Keskinen’s impact in Helsinki was practically immediate. A quick, pacy winger, Keskinen is capable of playing the ball with both of his feet, which he used to his advantage. During his time in Helsinki, Keskinen found the back of the net 8 times. Having been named the Veikkausliiga rookie of the year for the 2023 season, Keskinen was set up for a big season in 2024. In August of 2024, Keskinen traded Helsinki for Aberdeen, where he signed a 4 year deal for a 1 million Euro transfer fee, making him the clubs second most expensive transfer signing.
Overall, Keskinen is a top player, with a massive ceiling in front of him. If he continues improving at the same rate as he is currently performing at, I expect him to secure a move to a top five league at some point. Having progressed from a third division Finnish club, to the Champions of Finland, to one of the biggest clubs in Scotland at the age of 21 makes for an impressive resume.
Casper Terho
Helsinki born Terho spent his preparatory years with second division side PK-35, before making a move to the HJK academy. The 21 year old wingback made his professional debut for HJK’s reserve team, Klubi 04 in 2019. Casper debuted for the HJK first team in August of 2020. During his time in a HJK shirt, he would go on to appear for the first team a total of 41 times and score 6 goals. Terho would go on to secure a move to developmental powerhouse Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on January First 2023, on a contract until the end of June 2026, with Helsinki retainining a sell on clause. Having made his debut for the club as a subsitute on the 8th of January in a match against Anderlecht, Terho would become a regular member of the squad. He would go on to score his first goal for the club in April 2023, in an Europa League match against eventual Europa League finalists, Bayer Leverkusen. Regarding his playing style, Terho is very adaptable. Casper has excellent vision when it comes to his movement of the ball. Capable of playing the perfect pass to his teammates, Peltola is the perfect example of a playmaking winger.
I think that because Terho is currently developing in an environment like Union Saint-Gilloise, he is preparing himself for a transfer to one of Europe’s top five leagues. Keep an eye out for him, especially as he continues to earn more first team appearances in Belgium.
Matti Peltola
Peltola is a 22 year old defensive midfielder who plays for MLS side DC United. He had previously spent 11 years at HJK Helsinki, having made his professional debut in 2019, at the age of 17. At the start of the 2024 season, Peltola secured a move from the Finnish capitol to the US capitol, joining DC United as a young designated player. Matti has cemented himself as a member of DC’s core group of utilized players. What stands out to me the most regarding Peltola’s playing style is the fact that he doesn’t make himself overtly flashy, or makes a big deal out of himself. Peltola is a connector, meaning that he has an eye for placing the ball in spots where he can help his teammates perform at the higest levels. On the international side, Peltola has made 13 appearances for the Huuhkajat since debuting in early 2023. I think that the ceiling is quite high for Peltola, regardless of where he goes in his career. Once the current generation of Finnish internationals finish their playing careers, Matti will move into one of the regular spots on the national team. On the club side, I think being in a place like DC is a good chance for him to perform, and to develop himself and to potentially prepare for a transfer to a larger club.
Niklas Pyyhtia
The 2003 born midfielder is considered to be one of Finland’s up and coming stars. He spent his developmental years in Turku, playing for second division side Turun Palloseura (Turkus Football Club) He moved to Veikkausliiga team FC Honka, where he spent the 2021 season. He would then go on to move to Italian side Bologna, where he spent time playing in their academy system. During his time in Bologna so far, he had made 7 appearances for their first team, in addition to spending time on loan at Serie C side, Ternana. What stands out to me the most regarding Pyyhtia’s playstyle is that he plays without a sense of urgency on the pitch. Every move that he makes is very calculated, and is very intelligent. On the international side, Niklas still hasn’t debuted for Finland’s senior team, although he is a regular in their U-21 National team side. At this moment, I expect Niklas to continue developing at Bologna, but wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on loan to any more sides. If he wants to make himself a regular first team player, I would strongly encourage him to look at moving to a side where he would have a shot at playing regular first team minutes.
Lucas Bergstrom
Bergstrom is a 22 year old goalkeeper, currently playing for Premiership side, Chelsea FC. He joined the blues in Cobham in 2018, from Finnish side TPS. He would go on to spend 4 years playing in the Chelsea youth system, including making appearances for the club in the competitive UEFA Youth League competitions. He signed a professional contract with the club in 2019, and although he hasn’t had the opportunity to make his professional debut for the blues yet, he has been in and around the first team on multiple occasions. He was on the bench for a Champions League fixture in 2021, and when Chelsea saw two of their goalkeepers get injured in the 2023 season, Bergstrom was able to make the bench. He did have opportunity to develop during the 2022-2023 season, where he spent time on loan at EFL league one side, Peterborough United. Bergstrom is 6 feet, 9 inches tall (2.05 metres) and he definitely has used his impressive height to his advantage. Because he is so tall, he doesn’t have to exert himself too hard to make difficult saves. He is light on his feet, and quick thinking, meaning he isn’t afraid to be unconventional in his shot stopping. During a match for Peterborough, he was knocked to the ground, but stopped a shot on the ground by kicking the ball over the bar, which is something you wouldn’t typically see a goalkeeper of a smaller stature do. On the international side, he has capped for the senior side once, and is one of the goalkeepers in regular contention on the U21 side of the game. Once Finland’s core GK duo of Hradecky and Joronen retire, I expect Bergstrom and fellow young shot stopper Viljami Sinisalo to become Finland’s two men in net.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are talented Finnish players playing all over the world with massive developmental potential. Finland is a different place to play football, and I think it has to do with the conditions. Playing in a smaller, colder climate country creates tougher, more resilient footballers. Keep an eye out for these, and other footballers from Finland and other smaller countries. You’ll find players ready to work hard and perform to the highest standards.