UEFA European Under-21 Championship explained

UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Organiser:	UEFA
Region:	Europe
Number Of Teams:	55 (total) 16 (finals)
Website:	Official website
Current:	2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the competition also serves as the UEFA qualification tournament for the Summer Olympics.

Italy and Spain are the most successful teams in the tournament's history, having won five titles each. England are the current champions, having beaten Spain 1–0 in the 2023 final.

History

The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under-23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970. From the teams that applied for participation, two teams were selected by lot. These teams in the match between themselves revealed the winner of the main trophy. The winner was obliged to play with those teams that called him to the next meeting. These matches were initially held no more than once every three months, starting from the fourth tournament - in spring and autumn. In the event that several teams challenged the winner, the order of opponents was determined by lot. The cup holder was allowed to play games at home. Only two teams held that trophy: Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. In 1970, the tournament was replaced by the European Youth Championship.

A true Under-23 championship was then formed, starting in 1973. The tournament ran parallel to the existing main UEFA youth tournament that existed after the World War II (today the under-19 competitions). Around 1980, the UEFA reformed its junior squad competitions and reorganized them based on age limit only.

The age limit was reduced to 21 for the 1978 championship and it has remained so since. To be eligible for the campaign ending in 2025, players must be born in 2002 or later. Many may actually be 23 years old by the time of the final tournament; however, when the qualification process began (2023), all players would have been 21 or under.

Under-21 matches were typically played on the day before senior internationals and where possible, the same qualifying groups and fixtures were played out. This has changed since the 2006 edition.

The tournament's record attendance was set during the knockout stage of the 2023 edition, when 44,338 spectators gathered for the match between hosts Georgia and Israel.^[1]

Format

Up to and including the 1992 competition, all entrants were divided into eight qualification groups, the eight winners of which formed the quarter-finals lineup. The remaining fixtures were played out on a two-legged, home and away basis to determine the eventual winner.

For the 1994 competition, one of the semi-finalists, France, was chosen as a host for the (single-legged) semi-finals, third-place playoff and final. Similarly, Spain was chosen to host the last four matches in 1996.

For 1998, nine qualification groups were used, as participation had reached 46, nearly double the 24 entrants in 1976. The top seven group winners qualified automatically for the finals, whilst the eighth- and ninth-best qualifiers, and, played-off for the final spot. The remaining matches, from the quarter-finals onward, were held in Romania, one of the eight qualifiers.

The 2000 competition also had nine groups, but the nine winners and seven runners-up went into a two-legged playoff to decide the eight qualifiers. From those, Slovakia was chosen as host. For the first time, the familiar finals group stage was employed, with the two winners contesting a final, and two runners-up contesting the third-place playoff. The structure in 2002 was identical, except for the introduction of a semi-finals round after the finals group stage. Switzerland hosted the 2002 finals.

In 2004, ten qualification groups were used, with the group winners and six best runners-up going into the playoff. Germany was host that year. For 2006, the top two teams of eight large qualification groups provided the 16 teams for the playoffs, held in November 2005. Portugal hosted the finals.

Then followed the switch to odd years. The change was made because the senior teams of many nations often chose to promote players from their under-21s team as their own qualification campaign intensified. Staggering the tournaments allowed players more time to develop in the under-21 team rather than get promoted too early and end up becoming reserves for the seniors.

The 2007 competition actually began before the 2006 finals, with a qualification round to eliminate eight of the lowest-ranked nations. For the first time, the host (Netherlands) was chosen ahead of the qualification section. As hosts, qualified automatically. Coincidentally, the Dutch team had won the 2006 competition – the holders would normally have gone through the qualification stage. The other nations were all drawn into fourteen three-team groups. The 14 group winners were paired in double-leg play-off to decide the seven qualifiers alongside the hosts.

From 2009 to 2015, ten qualification groups were used, with the group winners and four best runners-up going into the two-legged playoffs.

The 2015 finals was to be the last eight teams edition, as UEFA expanded the tournament to twelve teams starting from the 2017 edition.^[2]

On 6 February 2019, UEFA's Executive Committee increased the number of participants in the finals to sixteen teams, starting from the 2021 edition.^[3]

Results

Edition	Year	Hosts		Final				Losing semi-finalists	Number of teams
Winner	Score	Runner-up
1972–1976: Under-23 championships
1	1972	Home-and-away basis		2–2 / 3–1 5–3 on aggregate		and			8 (23)
2	1974	Home-and-away basis		2–3 / 4–0 6–3 on aggregate		and			8 (21)
3	1976	Home-and-away basis		1–1 / 2–1 3–2 on aggregate		and			8 (23)
Since 1978: Under-21 championships
Edition	Year	Hosts		Final				Losing semi-finalists (or third place match)	Number of teams
Winner	Score	Runner-up
1	1978	Home-and-away basis		1–0 / 4–4 5–4 on aggregate		and			8 (24)
2	1980	Home-and-away basis		0–0 / 1–0 1–0 on aggregate		and			8 (25)
3	1982	Home-and-away basis		3–1 / 2–3 5–4 on aggregate		and			8 (26)
4	1984	Home-and-away basis		1–0 / 2–0 3–0 on aggregate		and			8 (30)
5	1986	Home-and-away basis		1–2 / 2–1 3–3 on aggregate		and			8 (29)
6	1988	Home-and-away basis		0–0 / 3–0 3–0 on aggregate		and			8 (30)
7	1990	Home-and-away basis		4–2 / 3–1 7–3 on aggregate		and			8 (30)
8	1992	Home-and-away basis		2–0 / 0–1 2–1 on aggregate		and			8 (32)
9	1994	France		1–0			2–1		8 (32)
10	1996	Spain		1–1			1–0		8 (44)
11	1998	Romania		1–0			2–0		8 (46)
12	2000	Slovakia		2–1			1–0		8 (47)
13	2002	Switzerland		0–0		and			8 (47)
14	2004	Germany		3–0			3–2		8 (48)
15	2006	Portugal		3–0		and			8 (51)
16	2007	Netherlands		4–1		and			8 (51)
17	2009	Sweden		4–0		and			8 (52)
18	2011	Denmark		2–0			1–0		8 (53)
19	2013	Israel		4–2		and			8 (53)
20	2015	Czech Republic		0–0		and			8 (53)
21	2017	Poland		1–0		and			12 (53)
22	2019	Italy		2–1		and			12 (55)
23	2021	Hungary Slovenia		1–0		and			16 (55)
24	2023	Romania Georgia		1–0		and			16 (54)
25	2025	Slovakia							16 (53)

Performances by countries

width=200	Team	width=200	Winners	width=200	Runners-up	width=200	Third place
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold		4 (1984, 1996, 2017, 2023)	2 (1994, 2000)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold		2 (1986, 2013)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	3 (2009, 2017, 2021)	2 (1982, 2019)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	3 (1982, 1984, 2023)	1 (2009)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	2 (1980, 1990)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	2 (2006, 2007)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	1 (1978)	3 (1990, 2004, 2007)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	1 (1988)	1 (2002)	1 (1996)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	1 (2002)	1 (2000)
bgcolor=gold		bgcolor=gold	1 (2015)	1 (1992)
		3 (1994, 2015, 2021)	1 (2004)
		2 (1978, 1980)
		2 (1988, 1998)
		1 (2006)
		1 (2011)
			1 (1998)
			1 (2011)

Comprehensive team results by tournament

Legend

• – Champions
• – Runners-up
• – Third place
• – Fourth place
• – Semi-finalists

• QF – Quarter-finals
• GS – Group stage
• q – Qualified
• – Hosts

 •  – Did not qualify ×  – Did not enter ×  – Withdrew before qualification / banned

Teams																							2021		2025 !	Total
	×	×	×	QF	•	•	•	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		1
	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•		1
									×	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	GS	3rd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	3
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	SF	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	GS		4
	SF	•	•	•	•	•	QF	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		2
								×	×	•	•	GS	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	QF	GS		5
^1	QF	QF	•	•	•	QF	QF	QF	QF	QF	•	2nd	1st	•	•	GS	•	4th	•	GS	GS	•	GS	GS		15
	QF	•	•	•	QF	•	•	SF	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	GS	•	SF	GS	GS	QF	•		9
	2nd	2nd	•	•	•	•	•																			2
	SF	SF	1st	1st	SF	SF	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	•	•	SF	2nd	GS	GS	GS	SF	GS	GS	1st		17
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		1
	•	•	QF	QF	QF	1st	•	•	4th	3rd	•	•	2nd	•	SF	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	QF	QF		11
								×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	QF		1
^2	×	×	2nd	•	•	•	QF	QF	•	QF	QF	•	•	GS	GS	•	1st	•	GS	SF	1st	2nd	1st	GS		14
	•	•	•	•	•	2nd	•	•	QF	•	2nd	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		4
	QF	QF	•	•	SF	•	•	•	•	QF	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•		5
	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	GS	•		2
									•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	SF	•	3
	QF	QF	QF	SF	2nd	QF	SF	1st	1st	1st	•	1st	SF	1st	GS	GS	SF	•	2nd	GS	SF	GS	QF	GS		22
	×	•	•	•	•	SF	•	QF	•	•	4th	GS	•	•	1st	1st	•	•	SF	•	•	•	SF	GS		9
								×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•		1
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	3rd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	•	•	•	•	GS		3
	•	•	QF	QF	QF	•	•	QF	QF	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	•	•		7
	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	2nd	QF	•	•	GS	3rd	GS	GS	•	•	•	2nd	GS	•	2nd	QF		10
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	QF	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	GS	GS		4
^3	•	1st	SF	•	•	•	1st	•	QF	•	QF	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	GS	×	×	7
	•	QF	SF	QF	•	QF	•	SF	•	4th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		6
^4	1st	SF	•	SF	•	•	2nd	•	×	×	•	•	•	2nd	SF	2nd	GS	•	•	GS	GS	GS	•	•		11
										•	•	4th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	q	3
								×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•		1
	•	•	QF	2nd	1st	QF	QF	•	3rd	2nd	1st	3rd	•	•	•	•	GS	1st	1st	•	2nd	1st	SF	2nd		16
	•	•	•	•	QF	•	SF	2nd	•	•	QF	•	•	4th	•	•	SF	•	•	1st	GS	•	•	•		8
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	GS	•	•	•	2nd	•	•	•	•	GS	QF		5
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		1
									×	•	•	•	•	•	2nd	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•	•	SF		3
Total	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	12	12	16	16	16

Notes

• ¹ Includes results representing Czechoslovakia
• ² Includes results representing West Germany
• ³ Includes results representing Soviet Union
• ⁴ Includes results representing Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro

Awards

Player of the Tournament

The Player of the Tournament award, formerly known as the Golden Player, is awarded to the player who plays the most outstanding football during the tournament. Since 2013, an official Player of the Tournament has been selected by the UEFA Technical Team.^[4]

Year	Golden Player	Ref.
1978	Vahid Halilhodžić	^[5]
1980	Anatoliy Demyanenko	^[6]
1982	Rudi Völler	^[7]
1984	Mark Hateley	^[8]
1986	Manolo Sanchís	^[9]
1988	Laurent Blanc	^[10]
1990	Davor Šuker	^[11]
1992	Renato Buso	^[12]
1994	Luís Figo	^[13]
1996	Fabio Cannavaro	^[14]
1998	Francesc Arnau	^[15]
2000	Andrea Pirlo	^[16]
2002	Petr Čech	^[17]
2004	Alberto Gilardino	^[18]
2006	Klaas-Jan Huntelaar	^[19]
2007	Royston Drenthe	^[20]
2009	Marcus Berg	^[21]
2011	Juan Mata	^[22]
2013	Thiago	^[23]
2015	William Carvalho	^[24]
2017	Dani Ceballos	^[25]
2019	Fabián	^[26]
2021	Fábio Vieira	^[27]
2023	Anthony Gordon	^[28]

Top Scorer

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship Top Scorer award, formerly known as the Golden Boot, is handed to the player who scores the most goals during the tournament. Since the 2013 tournament, those who finish as runners-up in the vote receive the Silver Boot and Bronze Boot awards as the second and third top goalscorers in the tournament, respectively.

Year	First place	Goals	Second place	Goals	Third place	Goals	Ref.
2000	Andrea Pirlo	3
2002	Massimo Maccarone	3
2004	Alberto Gilardino	4
2006		4
2007	Maceo Rigters	4
2009	Marcus Berg	7
2011	Adrián	5					^[29]
2013	Álvaro Morata	4	Thiago	3	Isco	3	^[30]
2015	Jan Kliment	3	Kevin Volland	2	John Guidetti	2
2017	Saúl	5	Marco Asensio	3	Bruma	3	^[31]
2019	Luca Waldschmidt	7	George Pușcaș	4	Marco Richter	3	^[32]
2021	Lukas Nmecha	4	Patrick Cutrone	3	Dany Mota	3	^[33]
2023	Sergio Gómez Abel Ruiz Heorhiy Sudakov	3					^[34]

Euro Under-21 dream team

On 17 June 2015, UEFA revealed an all-time best XI from the previous Under-21 final tournaments.^[35]

See also

• UEFA European Championship
• UEFA European Under-19 Championship
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship

External links

• • Tournament details at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Under-21 EURO finals attendance record broken . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. 1 July 2023. 1 July 2023.
2. Web site: U21 final tournament expanding to 12 teams. UEFA.com. 24 January 2014.
3. Web site: Aleksander Čeferin re-elected UEFA President until 2023 . UEFA.com . 7 February 2019 . en . 7 February 2019.
4. News: Thiago leads all-star squad dominated by Spain. UEFA.com. 21 June 2013. UEFA.com. 13 May 2020.
5. Web site: 1978: Vahid Halilhodžić . UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020444/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1978/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
6. Web site: 1980: Anatoliy Demyanenko . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020449/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1980/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
7. Web site: 1982: Rudi Völler . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020652/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1982/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
8. Web site: 1984: Mark Hateley . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622030710/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1984/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
9. Web site: 1986: Manuel Sanchís . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130621021031/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1986/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
10. Web site: 1988: Laurent Blanc . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130622075601/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1988/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
11. Web site: 1990: Davor Šuker . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622074149/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1990/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
12. Web site: 1992: Renato Buso . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130613113941/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1992/golden-player/index.html. 13 June 2013. dead.
13. Web site: 1994: Luís Figo . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020844/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1994/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
14. Web site: 1996: Fabio Cannavaro . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130622080017/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1996/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
15. Web site: 1998: Francesc Arnau . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130622080022/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=1998/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
16. Web site: 2000: Andrea Pirlo . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020849/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2000/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
17. Web site: 2002: Petr Čech . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621021036/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2002/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
18. Web site: 2004: Alberto Gilardino . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020657/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2004/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
19. Web site: 2006: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130621020454/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2006/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
20. Web site: 2007: Royston Drenthe . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations. https://web.archive.org/web/20130621021046/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2007/golden-player/index.html. 21 June 2013. dead.
21. Web site: 2009: Marcus Berg . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622030715/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2009/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
22. Web site: 2009: Juan Mata . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622030729/http://www.uefa.com/under21/season=2011/golden-player/index.html. 22 June 2013. dead.
23. Web site: 2013: Thiago Alcântara. 26 July 2013. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 29 June 2015.
24. Web site: William named U21 EURO player of the tournament . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 1 July 2015. 3 July 2015.
25. Web site: Spain's Dani Ceballos named Player of the Tournament. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations.
26. Web site: Fabián Ruiz named SOCAR Player of the Tournament. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations.
27. Web site: 2021 Under-21 EURO Player of the Tournament: Fábio Vieira. UEFA.com. 6 June 2021. 7 June 2021. Union of European Football Associations.
28. Web site: England's Anthony Gordon named 2023 Under-21 EURO Player of the Tournament. UEFA.com. 8 July 2023. 8 July 2023. Union of European Football Associations.
29. Web site: Czech striker Kliment wins Golden Boot award. UEFA.com. 30 June 2015. Union of European Football Associations.
30. Web site: Morata wins Golden Boot in Spanish clean sweep. UEFA.com. 18 June 2013. 1 July 2017. Adams. Sam. 2013 Under-21 finals top scorers
    Golden Boot: Álvaro Morata, Spain – 4 goals, 1 assist
    Silver Boot: Thiago Alcántara – 3 goals, 1 assist
    Bronze Boot: Isco, Spain – 3 goals. Union of European Football Associations.
31. Web site: Saúl Ñíguez wins U21 EURO adidas Golden Boot. UEFA.com. Golden Boot: Saúl Ñíguez (Spain) – 5 goals, 1 assist
    Silver Boot: Marco Asensio (Spain) – 3 goals, 1 assist
    Bronze Boot: Bruma (Portugal) – 3 goals. 30 June 2017. 1 July 2017. Union of European Football Associations.
32. Web site: Spain beat Germany for fifth U21 title. UEFA.com. 30 June 2019. Union of European Football Associations. 30 June 2019.
33. Web site: Germany's Lukas Nmecha wins U21 Top Scorer award. UEFA.com. 6 June 2021. 7 June 2021. Union of European Football Associations.
34. Web site: Under-21 EURO Top Scorers: Abel Ruiz, Sergio Gómez and Georgiy Sudakov tie. UEFA.com. 8 July 2023. 8 July 2023. Union of European Football Associations.
35. Web site: Our all-time Under-21 EURO dream team. 17 June 2015. UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 July 2015.