2025 Under-17 EURO semi-final preview: France vs Belgium, Italy vs Portugal

The UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-finals are on Thursday, starting in Elbasan with France playing Belgium before Italy face Portugal in Tirana, where Sunday's decider will be held.

France vs Belgium

France reached their fourth semi-final in five editions with Sunday's 4-0 defeat of tournament hosts Albania, helped by Hermann Diandaga's fierce long-range opener and two Djylian N'Guessan goals within 14 second-half minutes.

N'Guessan, who has made eight Ligue 1 appearances for St-Étienne in 2025 and has now scored eight goals in France's campaign including qualifying, notched his first of the finals in a statement 3-0 opening win for his side over Germany featuring a first-minute goal by Ilyas Azizi, who registered four times in qualifying.

That was followed by an absorbing 0-0 draw with Portugal, offering more evidence of the defensive resolve that has given France seven clean sheets in nine games since the first qualifying phase. Maintaining that strong defensive record will aid their bid to reach the final for the third time in four attempts, having triumphed in 2022.

Belgium coach Bob Browaeys was also in charge when his country met France in the semi-finals in 2015, losing on penalties following a 1-1 draw courtesy of three saves in the shoot-out by Luca Zidane – son of Zinédine – and a missed spot kick.

Belgium's last appearance in the semi-finals ended in a 2-1 defeat to Italy in 2018, and they suffered the same result against the same opponents in their final group stage match this time around, only to qualify on goal difference in extraordinary circumstances when Czechia sent them through with an 89th-minute goal against England.

They fell behind in their opener against England before Noah Fernandez's exquisite free-kick earned them a 1-1 draw, followed by a 3-1 win over Czechia featuring two Ali Camara goals and another by Wout Gielen before half-time. In their first finals outing since 2022 and first in the knockout stage since 2019, Belgium are one win from a maiden appearance in the final.

Bob Browaeys, Belgium coach: "We were dreaming of the last four. It's unbelievable for the players, who worked so hard. I'm so happy for them and my staff. We are a small country and we are again here with three top nations. I congratulated them on working so hard to live these situations."

Lionel Rouxel, France coach: "This EURO will be decided on physicality. The great satisfaction is to have conceded zero goals in three matches, but we must continue, not relax. You win a competition by conceding few goals, but you also have to keep what you do well."

• France are only the third nation to reach ten semi-finals in the modern version of the competition, one behind the Netherlands and Spain. Including the Under-16 era between 1982 and 2001, they have reached this point 17 times – a record only bettered by Spain's total of 24.

• Browaeys is hoping to personally make it third time lucky. As well as the 2015 defeat to France, he oversaw Belgium's loss to Spain in the final four in 2007, when a side including Eden Hazard went ahead in a 16-penalty shoot-out before going out in cruel style again.

Italy vs Portugal

Both these sides made second-half comebacks from 2-1 down to win their group stage finales, although Italy's progression was considerably less dramatic than Portugal's, achieving maximum points from their three games.

The holders beat Czechia 2-1 in their opener through goals from Samuele Inacio and Antonio Arena, then recovered from two England equalisers to win a thriller 4-2, Inacio scoring alongside Cristiano De Paoli, Thomas Campaniello - the only returning player from last year's finals - and Andrea Luongo.

August De Wannemacker's early strike put Belgium on course to beat Italy to top spot when the teams met on Monday, but manager Massimiliano Favo backs his players to outscore anyone - "our philosophy is not like the old cliche of the Italians parking the bus", he says - and two goals inside 17 second-half minutes by Inacio turned the result around and ensured no-one has netted more than the Dortmund prospect at the 2025 finals.

Beaten 3-0 in the final by Italy last year, Portugal were 15 minutes from going out in the group stage this time – but Tomás Soares' equaliser against Germany put them back on track to advance before the Benfica youngster was in the right place for a clever one-two that allowed Daniel Banjaqui, who had started the move with a scintillating run from inside his own half, to score the 89th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory.

The creditable stalemate with France in Portugal's second game, which coach Bino declared "a fantastic football match with a lot of quality and intensity", is part of a run of ten wins and two draws since that defeat in the 2024 decider for a team featuring two players with 11 goals between them since the start of qualifying in Tomás Soares and club team-mate Anísio Cabral, who was one of their scorers in their 4-0 win over Albania in the opening match of the finals.

Captain Rafael Quintas put Portugal on their way in that game with a first-half header, added to by a second-half penalty from set piece specialist Mateus Mide and late goals by Anísio Cabral and Tomás Soares. Nine years after they last lifted the trophy – Diogo Dalot scoring in a 1-1 draw with Spain and converting in their shoot-out win – Portugal can move a step closer to glory by achieving a revenge mission.

Massimiliano Favo, Italy coach: "Having finished a difficult group with nine points, we are aware that we can compete with anyone. The Portuguese have a great football tradition, as well as historically having very talented players. I imagine they will have a great desire for revenge."

Bino, Portugal coach: “This is a reward for our players for what we have done and the journey we have had so far. This is demanding for all of us but it’s great to win when you show the maturity and desire we have. We’re representing Portugal well.”

• Italy have won their last 15 competitive matches, scoring 40 times. Seven of those goals since the start of qualifying have been by Campaniello, who made three Serie A appearances for Empoli in 2024/25.
• Portugal's previous triumphs came in 2003 and 2016, beating Spain in the final on both occasions.