Meet the 2026 Under-17 EURO semi-finalists: Belgium, France, Italy and Spain

The UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-finals are on Thursday in Tallin, Estonia.

We introduce the contenders aiming for Sunday's Lilleküla staadion final.

Belgium vs France

• As in 2025, Belgium and France meet in the semi-finals of this competition. This time, though, the roles are reversed: Belgium progressing as Group A winners while France were runners-up in Group B. Will there be a change of outcome too as Belgium hunt a first final appearance? Or will France, 3-2 winners last year, compete for a fourth title?

Belgium

Belgium celebrate after finishing as Group A winnersUEFA via Getty Images

Qualifying round: Group 5 winners (played in Belgium)
1-0 vs Moldova, 6-0 vs Belarus, 2-0 vs Norway
Round 2: Group A5 winners (played in Serbia)
2-1 vs Switzerland, 4-3 vs Serbia, 1-0 vs Cyprus
Group A winners: 2-0 vs Croatia (Rakvere linnastaadion), 0-1 vs Spain (Rakvere linnastaadion), 1-0 vs Estonia (Lilleküla staadion)

Finals top scorer: Tinus Moorthamer, Jelle Driessen, Noah Kalonji – 1
Top scorer including qualifying: Kiyan Achahbar – 5
2024/25: Semi-finals
Previous U17 best: Semi-finals (2007, 2015, 2018, 2025)
Semi-final record: W0 L4

Past semi-finals
2025: 2-3 vs France
2018: 1-2 vs Italy
2015: 1-1, 1-2pens vs France
2007: 1-1aet, 6-7pens vs Spain

• Belgium have now got out of the group stage in seven of their ten U17 EURO finals appearances.

France

Kénan Doganay and his France team-mates celebrate his goal against MontenegroUEFA via Getty Images

Round 1: Group 9 winners (played in France)
8-0 vs Azerbaijan, 1-1 vs Romania, 5-0 vs Israel
Round 2: Group A1 winners (played in Slovenia)
2-0 vs Slovenia, 2-1 vs North Macedonia, 2-0 vs Germany
Group B runners-up: 0-1 vs Italy (Kalevi Keskstaadion), 4-0 vs Denmark (Kadrioru staadion), 5-0 vs Montenegro (Kadrioru staadion)

Finals top scorer: Eight players – 1
Top scorer including qualifying: Arone Gadou – 6
2024/25: Runners-up
Previous U17 best: Winners x 3 (2004, 2015, 2022)
Semi-final record: W6 L3

Past semi-finals
2025: 3-2 vs Belgium
2023: 3-1 vs Spain
2022: 2-2, 6-5pens vs Portugal
2019: 1-2 vs Italy
2015: 1-1, 2-1pens vs Belgium
2010: 1-2 vs England
2008: 1-1aet, 4-3pens vs Türkiye
2007: 0-1 vs England
2004: 3-1 vs Portugal
2002: 1-1aet, 4-3pens vs Spain

• Into a fourth semi-final in five editions and, like Spain, aiming to equal the Netherlands' record of eight Under-17 EURO finals.

Italy vs Spain

• Making semi-final appearance number eight and twelve respectively, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that this is the first meeting of Italy and Spain at this stage. Italy were the only team to finish the group stage unbeaten while Spain impressed with victories against Estonia and Belgium before losing to Croatia.

Italy

Italy celebrate their Matchday 2 victory against MontenegroUEFA via Getty Images

Round 1: Group 1 runners-up (played in Estonia)
8-1 vs Estonia, 1-2 vs Montenegro, 2-1 vs Ukraine
Round 2: Group A2 winners (played in Italy)
3-2 vs Portugal, 4-0 vs Iceland, 2-1 vs Romania
Group B winners: 1-0 vs France (Kalevi Keskstaadion), 3-0 vs Montenegro (Kalevi Keskstaadion), 3-3 vs Denmark (Kalevi Keskstaadion)

Finals top scorer: Seven players – 1
Top scorer including qualifying: Diego Perillo – 7
2024/25: Semi-finals
Previous U17 best: Winners x 1 (2024)

Semi-final record: W4 L3

Past semi-finals
2025: 2-2, 3-4pens vs Portugal
2024: 1-0 vs Denmark
2019: 2-1 vs France
2018: 2-1 vs Belgium
2013: 2-0 vs Slovakia
2009: 0-2 vs Germany
2005: 0-1 vs Netherlands

• In their third straight semi-final and aiming for their second title.

Spain

Spain's Sergi Mayans (left) and Christian Imga (right) celebrate UEFA via Getty Images

Round 1: Group 4 winners (played in Spain)
3-0 vs Andorra, 5-0 vs Latvia, 4-0 vs Denmark
Round 2: Group A6 winners (played in Northern Ireland)
2-0 vs Northern Ireland, 3-0 vs Scotland, 0-0 vs Türkiye
Group A runners-up: 4-1 vs Estonia (Lilleküla staadion), 1-0 vs Belgium (Rakvere linnastaadio), 2-3 vs Croatia (Rakvere linnastaadion)

Finals top scorer: Enzo Alves – 2
Top scorer including qualfyinig: Ebrima Tunkara – 5
2024/25: Did not qualify
Previous U17 best: Winners x 3 (2007, 2008, 2017)
Semi-final record: W7 L4

Past semi-finals
2023: 1-3 vs France
2019: 0-1 vs Netherlands
2017: 0-0, 4-2pens vs Germany
2016: 2-1 vs Germany
2010: 3-1 vs Türkiye
2008: 2-1aet vs Netherlands
2007: 1-1aet, 7-6pens vs Belgium
2006: 0-2 vs Czechia
2004: 2-1 vs England
2003: 5-2 vs Austria
2002: 1-1, 2-4pens vs France

• Making their 12th Under-17 EURO semi-final appearance, a new outright record, one ahead of the Netherlands and France.

Stats apply to Under-17 EURO only (from 2001/02).