The Ukraine national under-21 football team is also known as Youth [football] team of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Молодіжна збірна України) is one of junior national football teams of Ukraine for participation in under-21 international competitions. The team is managed by the Ukrainian Association of Football staff, committee of national teams. The team participates in qualifications to the Olympic competitions and the continental (UEFA) U-21 competitions.
Their first game the team played was on 28 October 1992. Its first competition the team entered in 1994 the qualification round for the 1996 European Under-21 Championship. The team has qualified for a tournament twice. The under-21s not only qualified for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship, but also reached the final, where they lost to on 4 June 2006 by 3–0. The under-21s also qualified to the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship that was held in Denmark.
Its first game under national flag the team played on 28 October 1992 by hosting Belarus national under-21 football team in a friendly game in Ternopil (Ternopil City Stadium). The game ended in scoreless tie and was attended by 4,000 people. The initial squad consisted of following players Sergei Aleksandrov, Dmytro Parfenov, Serhiy Fedorov, Oleksandr Koval, Vladyslav Vashchuk, Vitaliy Kosovskyi, Ihor Luchkevych, Serhiy Onopko, Vladimir Lebed, Hennadiy Moroz, Vitaliy Pushkutsa, Kostyantyn Pinchuk, Oleg Solovyov, Ruslan Romanchuk, Oleksandr Karabuta. Later two out of the squad Lebed and Aleksandrov continued to play for Russian national teams.
In August 1993, the Ukraine youth squad took part in its first tournament where it contested few teams outside of Europe. Its first competitive tournament became the Youth Euro 1996 where it was eliminated in qualification group. Its first game Ukraine U-21 played at home against its opponents from Lithuania on 6 September 1994.
It took Ukraine another 10 years to finally qualify to the tournament final when in 2006 it almost won the tournament losing in the final game to Netherlands which earned its first title instead.
As U-23 team
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| 2024 | Qualified | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2028 | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Total | 1/30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Since 1984, it is an official U-21 European championship. Since 1992, the tournament doubles as qualifying competition for the Olympic Games every four years.[1]
| UEFA European Under-21 Championship | UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualification | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | |||||||||||||
| 1960–1992 | Part of | Part of | |||||||||||||
 1994 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| bgcolor=aqua |  1996 | Did not qualify | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 12 | |||||||
 1998 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 4 | |||||||||
| bgcolor=aqua |  2000 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 12 | ||||||||
 2002 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 17 | |||||||||
| bgcolor=aqua |  2004 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 5 | ||||||||
 2006 | Runner-up | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 11 | |
| bgcolor=aqua |  2007 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||
 2009 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 7 | |||||||||
| bgcolor=aqua |  2011 | Group Stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 8 |
 2013 | Did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 10 | ||||||||
| bgcolor=aqua |  2015 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 13 | ||||||||
 2017 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 12 | |||||||||
| bgcolor=aqua |   2019 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 12 | ||||||||
  2021 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 11 | |||||||||
 2023 | Semi-Finals | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 14 | |
| 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Runner-up | 3/15 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 124 | 64 | 23 | 37 | 218 | 132 | |
| Manager[2] | Nation | Ukraine career | width=50px | Played | width=50px | Won | width=50px | Drawn | width=50px | Lost | width=50px | GF | width=50px | GA | width=50px | Win % | width=75px | Qualifying cycle | width=75px | Final tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr Muntian |  | 1992–1994 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 12 | 1996 | |||||||||||
| Viktor Kolotov | | 1995 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 1996 | |||||||||||
| Oleksandr Ishchenko | | 1996–1997 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 1998 | |||||||||||
| Viktor Kolotov | | 1998–1999 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 16 | 2000 | |||||||||||
| Volodymyr Onyschenko | | 1999–2001 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 23 | 31 | 2000, 2002 | |||||||||||
| Anatoliy Kroshchenko[3] | | 2002 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 2004 | |||||||||||
| Pavlo Yakovenko | | 2002–2004 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 20 | 2004, 2006 | |||||||||||
| Hennadiy Lytovchenko | | 2003–2004 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Oleksiy Mykhaylichenko | | 2004–2007 | 41 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2006, 2007, 2009 | 2006 | ||||||||||
| Volodymyr Muntian (caretaker) | | 2008 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Pavlo Yakovenko | | 2008–2012 | 70 | 31 | 25 | 14 | 109 | 66 | 2009, 2011, 2013 | 2011 | ||||||||||
| Serhiy Kovalets | | 2013–2015 | 47 | 26 | 8 | 13 | 94 | 50 | 2013, 2015 | |||||||||||
| Oleksandr Holovko | | 2015–2018 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 49 | 34 | 2017, 2019 | |||||||||||
| Ruslan Rotan | | 2018–2023 | 47 | 23 | 12 | 12 | 79 | 55 | 2021, 2023 | 2023 | ||||||||||
| Unai Melgosa | | 2023–present | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 2025 |
Currently approved:[4]
| Position | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Unai Melgosa | |
| Assistant coach | ||
| Kyrylo Mazur | ||
| Imad Ashur | ||
| Goalkeeping coach | Vitaliy Reva | |
| Fitness coach | Andriy Shabalin |
Players born in 2002 or later are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification. Names in bold denote players who have been capped for the senior team. Names in italics denote players who not available for calling up anymore, because of the age limits.
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months.
| width=50px | Rank | width=175px | Player | width=50px | Goals | width=50px | Caps | width=50px | Average | width=100px | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pylyp Budkivskyi | 18 | 23 | 2011–2013 | |||||||
| 2 | Danylo Sikan | 9 | 19 | 2019–2023 | |||||||
| 3 | Oleksandr Aliyev | 8 | 30 | 2003–2006 | |||||||
| 4 | Nazariy Rusyn | 7 | 11 | 2018–2019 | |||||||
| Andriy Totovytskyi | 7 | 12 | 2013 | ||||||||
| Serhiy Rebrov | 7 | 17 | 1993–1995 | ||||||||
| Artem Byesyedin | 7 | 17 | 2015–2017 | ||||||||
| Ruslan Fomin | 7 | 20 | 2005–2008 | ||||||||
| Oleksiy Byelik | 7 | 29 | 2000–2003 | ||||||||
| Artem Milevskyi | 7 | 31 | 2003–2006 |
The following table shows Ukraine Under-21s all-time international record, correct as of 29 March 2021.[7]
| Positive balance (more wins) | ||
| Neutral balance (equal W/L ratio) | ||
| Negative balance (more losses) |
| Against | Confederation | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | +15 | ||
| UEFA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | ||
| UEFA | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 3 | +28 | ||
| UEFA | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | ||
| UEFA | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | ||
| AFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 12 | +7 | ||
| UEFA | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | ||
| UEFA | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -1 | ||
| CONMEBOL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | ||
| AFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 13 | -8 | ||
| UEFA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | ||
| UEFA | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 17 | -1 | ||
| CAF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | ||
| UEFA | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 14 | -6 | ||
| UEFA | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 28 | 12 | +16 | ||
| UEFA | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 14 | -12 | ||
| UEFA | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | ||
| UEFA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | ||
| AFC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | ||
| UEFA | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | ||
| UEFA | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -3 | ||
| UEFA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | ||
| AFC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | ||
| UEFA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | ||
| AFC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | ||
| UEFA | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 6 | +13 | ||
| UEFA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | +13 | ||
| UEFA | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 14 | +9 | ||
| CAF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | ||
| UEFA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | +0 | ||
| UEFA | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 4 | +15 | ||
| UEFA | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 5 | +18 | ||
| UEFA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | ||
| UEFA | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | -7 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 10 | -8 | ||
| UEFA | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 14 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | +0 | ||
| UEFA | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 13 | -8 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | +1 | ||
| AFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 | ||
| UEFA | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | ||
| UEFA | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 6 | +12 | ||
| UEFA | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | -2 | ||
| UEFA | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | ||
| UEFA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | +4 | ||
| UEFA | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | ||
| AFC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | ||
| AFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | ||
| UEFA | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 14 | +5 | ||
| AFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | ||
| CONCACAF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | ||
| AFC | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | ||
| UEFA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
Since the game Ukraine v Belarus (28 October 1992), Ukraine youth team have played their home games at 19 different stadiums.
| Venue | City | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Points per game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VVL Dynamo | Kyiv | 43 | 20 | 17 | 6 | 76 | 36 | ||
| Bannikov | Kyiv | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 11 | ||
| Obolon Arena | Kyiv | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 8 | ||
| Boreks | Borodianka | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | ||
| Tsentralnyi | Cherkasy | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | ||
| Shakhtar | Chervonohrad | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Dynamo Training Center | Kyiv, Koncha-Zaspa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| CSK ZSU | Kyiv | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | ||
| Lokomotyv | Donetsk | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Kolos | Boryspil | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Sevastopol | Sevastopol | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Slavutych-Arena | Zaporizhzhia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||
| Arena Lviv | Lviv | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Auto ZAZ | Zaporizhzhia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| SKA | Odesa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Metalist | Kharkiv | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Ternopilsky | Ternopil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ukraina | Lviv | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Illichivets | Mariupol | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Totals | 102 | 55 | 32 | 15 | 196 | 79 | |||
Last updated: 2 June 2016. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.