2025 Under-21 EURO qualifying groups and state of play
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
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The groups run until October with 12 direct finals slots and six play-off berths.
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Qualifying for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship is in progress with 52 teams competing in nine groups for 15 slots alongside hosts Slovakia.
Qualifying began in March 2023 but most teams kicked off their campaigns last September. Matches run until 15 October.
The nine group winners and the three best runners-up (not counting results against sixth-placed teams) will qualify directly for the final tournament in summer 2025. The other six runners-up will progress to the November 2024 play-offs for the last three finals spots.
2025 U21 EURO qualifying groups
Group A: Italy, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Latvia, Türkiye, San Marino
Unbeaten Italy are four points clear after beating Latvia 2-0 and drawing 1-1 with Türkiye in March. Second-placed Republic of Ireland defeated San Marino 7-0, and have a game in hand. Norway, who beat Ireland in November, are a point further back following their 4-0 defeat of San Marino, and host Italy in a crucial fixture on 10 September.
Group B: Spain, Scotland, Belgium Hungary, Kazakhstan, Malta
Unbeaten Spain defeated Belgium 1-0 with an 88th-minute Mateo Joseph goal to move three points clear. Five days earlier both Belgium and Scotland had caught Spain, respectively beating Malta 3-1 and Kazakhstan 4-1. Belgium have now played a game more than Spain and Scotland, who meet on 6 September. Hungary are within three points of Belgium and Scotland following their 3-0 win in Kazakhstan.
Group C: Netherlands, Georgia, Sweden, Moldova, North Macedonia, Gibraltar
The Netherlands made it seven wins out of seven with a 3-0 victory in Moldova. They are eight points clear of the team that beat them to the 2023 quarter-finals, Georgia, who won 2-0 in Gibraltar and still have a game in hand. Three further points adrift, Sweden also got a 2-0 away victory in North Macedonia.
Group D: Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Estonia, Israel
Germany's perfect record was ended in the first of their March games as they were held 0-0 by Kosovo but they then defeated Israel 2-0 to return to the top. Poland are now one behind, having played a game more, after a 1-0 home loss to Bulgaria, who moved to within three points of second (and host Poland on 10 September). Kosovo are three further back after their draw in Germany.
Group E: Switzerland, Romania, Finland, Albania, Montenegro, Armenia
Switzerland remain a point clear at the top following their 3-1 win in Albania. Romania, in second, secured a 1-0 victory in Armenia with an 89th-minute goal while Finland also picked up an away triumph with a late winner, 2-1 in Montenegro, to stay within three points of second, level with Albania, who have played a game more.
Albania's November game in Montenegro was abandoned after 27 minutes at 0-0 due to the weather conditions and will resume on 7 June.
Group F: Ukraine, England (holders), Serbia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
Ukraine have six wins out of six following their 3-0 victory in Azerbaijan. England themselves won 5-1 in Azerbaijan then beat Luxembourg 7-0 and are level on points with Ukraine, who have a game in hand. Serbia are eight points adrift in third following their 1-1 draw in Luxembourg and 2-1 home loss to Northern Ireland.
Group G: Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Faroe Islands, Belarus, Andorra
Portugal beat the Faroe Islands 4-0 and Croatia won 3-0 in Andorra in their first March game to set things up for their crucial encounter in Faro. And a Pedro Santos hat-trick in the first 22 minutes was key as unbeaten Portugal won 5-1 to inflict Croatia's first defeat. Greece, having lost 1-0 in Belarus, then beat Andorra by the same score to move into second, four points behind Portugal (who have a game in hand) and one ahead of Croatia, who have played two matches fewer.
Group H: Slovenia, France, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus
Austria ended France's perfect start under Thierry Henry with a 2-0 win in November. With France not in action again until September, Slovenia went three points clear in March by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0. Austria missed the chance to catch France as they drew 2-2 with Cyprus, needing an equaliser deep in added time to even get that point after falling behind in the 90th minute. France, with a game in hand, host Slovenia on 6 September.
Group I: Denmark, Wales, Iceland, Czechia, Lithuania
Denmark ended March on top thanks to their 3-0 defeat of Lithuania, whose previous 2-1 loss in Wales had sent that team top. Denmark, with a game in hand, are ahead of Wales on head-to-head record after getting a win and a draw from their two encounters. Iceland are now five points off the top two after their 4-1 loss in Czechia, who moved level with their visitors, each having two games in hand on Wales.
U21 EURO qualifying team guide
- Italy and Spain have won a record five titles, followed by holders England and Germany (3), Netherlands (2) and Czechia, France, Serbia (as Yugoslavia) and Sweden as other former winners.
- England won the 2023 finals in Georgia and Romania, with Spain runners-up and both Israel and Ukraine making the semis. France, Georgia, Portugal and Switzerland fell in the quarter-finals, while Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Romania also took part.
- Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, San Marino and Wales are aiming to make the post-1994 one-venue finals for the first time.
- Albania and Bulgaria have never reached a one-venue U21 final tournament but did reach the knockout quarter-finals when the latter stages of the competition were entirely played over two legs before 1994.
- Georgia and Slovenia have only previously reached the final tournament as hosts.
U21 EURO qualifying match dates
Group stage
24–28 March 2023
15–20 June 2023
6–12 September 2023
12–17 October 2023
16–21 November 2023
21–26 March 2024
7 June 2024 (resumption of abandoned match)
5–10 September 2024
10–15 October 2024
Play-offs
11–19 November 2024