2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

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2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Majstrovstvá Európy vo futbale hráčov do 21 rokov 2025
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.png
Tournament details
Host countrySlovakia
Dates11–28 June
Teams16 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)8 (in 8 host cities)
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of England.svg  England (4th title)
Runners-upFlag of Germany.svg  Germany
Tournament statistics
Matches played31
Goals scored101 (3.26 per match)
Attendance250,492 (8,080 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of Germany.svg Nick Woltemade
(6 goals)
Best player(s) Flag of England.svg Harvey Elliott [1]
2023
2027

The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2025) was the 25th edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship (28th edition if the Under-23 era is also included), the biennial international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men's under-21 national teams of Europe.

Contents

The tournament was hosted by Slovakia, [2] which previously hosted the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. It was the first 16-team tournament which was hosted in a single country. [3] England defeated Germany 3–2 in the final after extra time, thereby successfully defending their 2023 title and winning their fourth title overall.

Host selection

UEFA Executive Committee chose Slovakia as a host on 25 January 2023. [2]

Preparations

In October 2023, UEFA officials came to Slovakia to further inspect their venues and were satisfied with them. [4]

Venues

Event venue advertising panel in Slovak ME vo futbale, hracov do 19 rokov - 2025. Presov 25 Slovakia 2.jpg
Event venue advertising panel in Slovak

The tournament took place in eight stadiums across seven of the eight Slovak regions, with the exception of Banská Bystrica Region. Trnava Region was the only Region to have multiple host cities, Trnava and Dunajská Streda.

Bratislava Trnava Dunajská Streda Košice
Tehelné pole Anton Malatinský Stadium MOL Aréna Košická futbalová aréna
Capacity: 22,500Capacity: 18,200Capacity: 12,700Capacity: 12,555
Tehelne pole.jpg The City Arena in Trnava (2018).jpg Molarena.png KFA Kosicka Futbalova Arena.jpg
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Slovakia)
Žilina Trenčín Nitra Prešov
Štadión pod Dubňom Štadión Sihoť Štadión pod Zoborom Futbal Tatran Arena
Capacity: 10,897Capacity: 10,000Capacity: 7,480Capacity: 6,500
MSK Zilina - Stadium - panoramio.jpg Stadion Sihot.png FC Nitra.jpg Futbal Tatran Arena opening.jpg

Qualification

2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship - Map of qualified countries 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship - Map of countries.png
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship − Map of qualified countries

Qualified teams

The following teams qualified for the final tournament.

Note: All appearance statistics include only U-21 era (since 1978).

TeamMethod of qualificationDate of qualificationAppearanceFirst appearanceLast appearancePrevious best performance
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Hosts25 January 20233rd (9th incl. Czechoslovakia) 2000 2017 Fourth place (2000)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Group C winners9 September 202410th 1988 2023 Champions (2006, 2007)
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Group B winners10 September 202417th 1982 2023 Champions (1986, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2019)
Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal Group G winners11 October 202411th 1994 2023 Runners-up (1994, 2015, 2021)
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Group D winners11 October 202415th 1982 2023 Champions (2009, 2017, 2021)
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Group I winners11 October 202410th 1978 2021 Semi-finals (1992, 2015)
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Top three of second-placed teams11 October 20244th (7th incl. Soviet Union) 2006 2023 Runners-up (2006)
Flag of England.svg  England Group F winners12 October 202418th 1978 2023 Champions (1982, 1984, 2023)
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Group E winners15 October 20245th 1998 2023 Semi-finals (2019)
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Top three of second-placed teams15 October 20248th 1982 2019 Quarter-finals (1982, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1994)
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia Group H winners15 October 20242nd (6th incl. Yugoslavia) 2021 2021 Group stage (2021)
Flag of France.svg  France Top three of second-placed teams15 October 202412th 1982 2023 Champions (1988)
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Group A winners15 October 202423rd 1978 2023 Champions (1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2004)
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Play-offs winner19 November 20242nd 2009 2009 Group stage (2009)
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Play-offs winner19 November 202410th (16th incl. Czechoslovakia) 1996 2023 Champions (2002)
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia Play-offs winner19 November 20242nd (5th incl. Soviet Union) 2023 2023 Quarter-finals (2023)

Final draw

The draw for the final tournament was held in Bratislava on 3 December 2024. [5]

Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
Flag of England.svg  England (holders)Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia (hosts)

Match officials

CountryReferee1st assistant referee2nd assistant referee
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan Elchin Masiyev Elshad AbdullayevParvin Talibov
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Jakob Sundberg Victor SkytteDeniz Yurdakul
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia Goga Kikacheishvili David AkhvledianiDavit Gabisonia
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Vasilios Fotias Andreas MeintanasMihalis Papadakis
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Simone Sozza Alessio BertiDavide Imperiale
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Manfredas Lukjančukas Mangirdas MirauskasAleksandras Stepanovas
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Sander van der Eijk Rens BlueminkStefan De Groot
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Damian Sylwestrzak Adam KarasewiczBartosz Heinig
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Nick Walsh Daniel McFarlaneCalum Spence
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Nenad Minaković Nikola BorovićBoško Božović
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Alessandro Dudic Pascal HirzelNicolas Müller
Flag of Venezuela (state).svg  Venezuela Alexis Herrera Lubin TorrealbaAlberto Ponte

Fourth officials

Squads

Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible to participate. [6] Each national team had to submit a squad of 23 players, three of whom had to be goalkeepers. If a player was injured or ill severely enough to prevent his participation in the tournament before his team's first match, he could be replaced by another player. [6]

Group stage

The group winners and runners-up advanced to the knockout stage, which began with the quarter-finals. [7]

All times are local, CEST (UTC+2).

Tiebreakers

The ranking of teams in the group stage was determined as follows:

  1. Points obtained in all group matches;
  2. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  5. If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  6. Goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams had the same number of points, and they met in the last round of the group and were tied after applying all criteria above (not used if more than two teams had the same number of points, or if their rankings were not relevant for qualification for the next stage);
  9. Disciplinary points
    • Yellow card: −1 point;
    • Indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
    • Direct red card: −3 points;
  10. UEFA coefficient for the qualifying round draw;
  11. Drawing of lots.

Group A

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 321064+27 Knockout stage
2Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 321031+27
3Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia (H)31024513
4Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 30032530
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Slovakia  Flag of Slovakia.svg2–3Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Report
Tehelné pole , Bratislava
Attendance: 19,964 [8]
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak (Poland)
Italy  Flag of Italy.svg1–0Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Report

Spain  Flag of Spain.svg2−1Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Report
Slovakia  Flag of Slovakia.svg0–1Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Report

Romania  Flag of Romania.svg1–2Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
Report
Spain  Flag of Spain.svg1–1Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Report
Anton Malatinský Stadium , Trnava
Attendance: 12,573 [13]
Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland)

Group B

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 330093+69 Knockout stage
2Flag of England.svg  England 311143+14
3Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 31025723
4Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 30120551
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Czech Republic  Flag of the Czech Republic.svg1−3Flag of England.svg  England
Report
MOL Aréna , Dunajská Streda
Attendance: 8,087 [14]
Referee: Elchin Masiyev (Azerbaijan)
Germany  Flag of Germany.svg3−0Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Report
Štadión pod Zoborom , Nitra
Attendance: 2,708 [15]
Referee: Jakob Sundberg (Denmark)

England  Flag of England.svg0−0Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Report
Czech Republic  Flag of the Czech Republic.svg2–4Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Report
MOL Aréna , Dunajská Streda
Attendance: 7,870 [17]
Referee: Alexis Herrera (Venezuela)

Slovenia  Flag of Slovenia.svg0–2Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic
Report
MOL Aréna , Dunajská Streda
Attendance: 4,028 [18]
Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)
England  Flag of England.svg1–2Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Report

Group C

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal 321090+97 Knockout stage
2Flag of France.svg  France 321073+47
3Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 31024843
4Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 300321190
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Portugal  Flag of Portugal (official).svg0–0Flag of France.svg  France
Report
Poland  Flag of Poland.svg1–2Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
Report

Portugal  Flag of Portugal (official).svg5–0Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Report
Štadión Sihoť , Trenčín
Attendance: 4,469 [22]
Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland)
France  Flag of France.svg3–2Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
Report
Štadión pod Dubňom , Žilina
Attendance: 3,687 [23]
Referee: Jakob Sundberg (Denmark)

Georgia  Flag of Georgia.svg0–4Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal
Report
Štadión Sihoť , Trenčín
Attendance: 4,573 [24]
Referee: Elchin Masiyev (Azerbaijan)
France  Flag of France.svg4–1Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Report
Štadión pod Dubňom , Žilina
Attendance: 7,288 [25]
Referee: Nenad Minaković (Serbia)

Group D

Ukraine v Denmark at Tatran Stadium. ME vo futbale, hracov do 21 rokov - 2025. Presov 25 Slovakia 4.jpg
Ukraine v Denmark at Tatran Stadium.

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 321075+27 Knockout stage
2Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 311154+14
3Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 31024513
4Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 30214622
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Ukraine  Flag of Ukraine.svg2–3Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Report
Finland  Flag of Finland.svg2−2Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Report

Finland  Flag of Finland.svg0−2Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
Report
Netherlands  Flag of the Netherlands.svg1–2Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Report
Futbal Tatran Arena , Prešov
Attendance: 5,484 [29]
Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)

Denmark  Flag of Denmark.svg2–2Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Report
Netherlands  Flag of the Netherlands.svg2–0Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
Report
Futbal Tatran Arena , Prešov
Attendance: 5,216 [31]
Referee: Vassilis Fotias (Greece)

Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, extra time and a penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winners if necessary.

Bracket

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
21 June – Trnava
 
 
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1
 
25 June – Bratislava
 
Flag of England.svg  England 3
 
Flag of England.svg  England 2
 
21 June – Žilina
 
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1
 
Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal 0
 
28 June – Bratislava
 
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1
 
Flag of England.svg  England (a.e.t.)3
 
22 June – Dunajská Streda
 
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 2
 
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany (a.e.t.)3
 
25 June – Košice
 
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 2
 
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 3
 
22 June – Prešov
 
Flag of France.svg  France 0
 
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 2
 
 
Flag of France.svg  France 3
 

Quarter-finals

Portugal  Flag of Portugal (official).svg0–1Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Report

Spain  Flag of Spain.svg1–3Flag of England.svg  England
Report
Anton Malatinský Stadium , Trnava
Attendance: 8,247 [33]
Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)

Denmark  Flag of Denmark.svg2–3Flag of France.svg  France
Report

Germany  Flag of Germany.svg3–2 (a.e.t.)Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Report

Semi-finals

England  Flag of England.svg2–1Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Report
Tehelné pole , Bratislava
Attendance: 14,719 [36]
Referee: Vassilis Fotias (Greece)

Germany  Flag of Germany.svg3–0Flag of France.svg  France
Report

Final

England  Flag of England.svg3–2 (a.e.t.)Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Report

Goalscorers

There were 101 goals scored in 31 matches, for an average of 3.26 goals per match.

6 goals

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:

Team of the tournament

After the tournament the Under-21 Team of the Tournament was selected by the UEFA Technical Observers. [40]

PositionPlayer
Goalkeeper Flag of England.svg James Beadle
Defenders Flag of England.svg Tino Livramento
Flag of England.svg Charlie Cresswell
Flag of Germany.svg Bright Arrey-Mbi
Flag of France.svg Quentin Merlin
Midfielders Flag of England.svg Elliot Anderson
Flag of Germany.svg Eric Martel
Flag of England.svg James McAtee
Forwards Flag of England.svg Harvey Elliott
Flag of Germany.svg Nick Woltemade
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Geovany Quenda

References

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  3. "Slovakia hosts major football tournament for the first time in decades". Sme. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
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