2026 Under-19 EURO semi-finals: Spain vs Croatia, Ukraine vs Germany

Spain meet Croatia in Denbigh before Ukraine and Germany match up in Wrexham on Wednesday as places in the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final are decided.

Get to know the four contenders for the 2026 title.

Spain vs Croatia

• Two teams with contrasting histories and group stage campaigns. Spain are record-setters with their 13th semi-final appearance; Croatia have reached this stage for just the second time. Spain were assured of their semi-final place after Matchday 2; Croatia won theirs in dramatic fashion in their final minutes of their Group B campaign.

Spain

Spain are through to their 13th semi-finalUEFA via Getty Images

Qualifying round: Bye as top seeds
Elite round: Group 7 winners (played in Spain)
4-0 vs Slovenia, 4-0 vs Finland, 3-0 vs Netherlands

Group A winners
7-0 vs Wales (Wrexham), 3-0 vs Denmark (Denbighshire), 4-0 vs Germany (Denbighshire)
Finals top scorer: Morante – 4
Top scorer including qualifying: Hugo López, Morante – 5

2024/25: Runners-up
Previous best: Winners x 9 (2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2024)
U19 semi-final record: W10 L2

Previous semi-finals
2025: 6-5aet vs Germany
2024: 1-0aet vs Italy
2023: 2-3 vs Italy
2019: 0-0aet, 4-3pens vs France
2015: 2-0 vs France
2013: 1-2aet vs France
2012: 3-3aet, 4-2pens vs France
2011: 5-0 vs Republic of Ireland
2010: 3-1 vs England
2007: 0-0aet, 4-2pens vs France
2006: 5-0 vs Austria
2004: 2-2aet, 4-1pens vs Ukraine

• Their 13th U19 EURO semi-final, a new outright record, moving them one clear of France.

Croatia

Croatia celebrate their dramatic qualification for the semi-finalsUEFA via Getty Images

Qualifying round: Group 6 winners (played in Croatia)
2-0 vs Georgia, 8-0 vs Gibraltar, 4-1 vs Serbia
Elite round: Group 3 winners (played in Croatia)
4-1 vs Switzerland, 1-0 vs Norway, 1-1 vs France

Group B runners-up
1-3 vs Ukraine (Bangor), 0-0 vs Italy (Caernafon), 3-0 vs Serbia (Caernafon)
Finals top scorer: Ivan Barić, Lovro Chelfi, Patrice Čović, Dino Godec – 1
Top scorer including qualifying: Ivan Barić, Lovro Chelfi, Luka Vrzić – 3

2024/25: Elite round
Previous best: Semi-finals (2010)
U19 semi-final record: W0 L1

Past semi-finals
2010: 1-2 vs France

• Competing at their first Under-19 EURO finals in ten years and through to only their second semi-final.

Ukraine vs Germany

• Semi-final heartbreaks are fresh in the mind for Ukraine and Germany, who lost tight semi-finals in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Their last semi-final successes came in 2009 and 2014 respectively, the same years Ukraine claimed their only title and Germany their most recent.

Ukraine

Ukraine celebrate their progress to the semi-finalsUEFA via Getty Images

Qualifying round: Group 5 winners (played in Albania)
3-0 vs Albania, 3-0 vs Montenegro, 3-0 vs Slovakia
Elite round: Group 5 winners (played in Romania)
1-0 vs Northern Ireland, 3-0 vs Kazakhstan, 1-1 vs Romania

Group B winners
3-1 vs Croatia (Bangor), 2-1 vs Serbia (Bangor), 1-0 vs Italy (Bangor)
Finals top scorer: Vitaliy Hlyut – 2
Top scorer including qualifying: Oleksandr Kamenskyi – 4

2024/25: Qualifying round
Previous best: Winners x 1 (2009)
U19 semi-final record: W1 L3

Past semi-finals
2024: 0-1 vs France
2018: 0-5 vs Portugal
2009: 3-1 vs Serbia
2004: 2-2aet, 1-4pens vs Spain

• Current coach Dmytro Mikhailenko was also in charge when Ukraine reached the semi-finals in 2024. Two players from the current group made substitute appearances in the defeat to France: forward Dmytro Bohdanov and captain Kyrylo Dihtiar.

Germany

Germany celebrate after scoring against WalesFootball Association of Wales

Qualifying round: Group 12 winners (played in Norway)
7-0 vs Armenia, 5-0 vs Kosovo, 2-1 vs Norway
Elite round: Group 1 winners (played in Germany)
2-2 vs Sweden, 1-0 vs Greece, 3-2 vs Austria

Group A runners-up
4-3 vs Denmark (Denbighshire), 4-0 vs Wales (Wrexham), 0-4 vs Spain (Denbighshire)
Finals top scorer: Otto Stange – 3
Top scorers including qualifying: Francis Onyeka – 10

2024/25: Semi-finals
Previous best: Winners x 2 (2008, 2014)
U19 semi-final record: W2 L3

Previous semi-finals
2025: 5-6aet vs Spain
2014: 4-0 vs Austria
2008: 2-1 vs Czechia
2007: 2-3 vs Greece
2005: 2-3 vs France

• Last year's semi-final contest with Spain was the highest-scoring match in Under-19 EURO finals history.