2026 Under-19 EURO Team of the Tournament

The UEFA Technical Observer Group have confirmed their Team of the Tournament for the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Wales.

The line-up features six members of the victorious Spain side, plus two players from runners-up Germany, another two from semi-finalists Ukraine and one from Italy.

Goalkeeper: Manu González (Spain)

Spain No1 Manu González was the worthy winner of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship Goalkeeper of the Tournament award. The champions didn't concede a single goal across their five games in Wales. Whilst his decision-making and composure in possession were an important contribution to Spain's overall play, González also saved 100% of the shots on his goal in the competition, including five in the 2-0 win over Germany in the final.

Defender: Danylo Malov (Ukraine)

Ukraine left-back Danylo Malov played every minute of his side's run to the semi-finals. Possessing a strong physical presence, Malov proved extremely mobile in covering ground in attack and defence. He contributed to Ukraine's attacking performance by unlocking defences with his timing of runs and ability to connect with team-mates in the final third, also boasting four key passes across the four games he played.

Defender: Andrea Natali (Italy)

Andrea Natali anchored Italy's back line with high athleticism and agility, proving incredibly quick at recovering into defensive shape. He dominated individual duels and shut down counterattacks by winning the ball early, while remaining highly effective at retaining possession for his team. With the ball at his feet, Natali confidently drove into open space to create numerical overloads. Furthermore, his ability to execute both short and sharp diagonal passes gave the team an excellent platform to build their attacks.

Defender: Mario Rivas (Spain)

Alongside his centre-back partner Andrés Cuenca, Mario Rivas played a critical role in Spain securing the title without conceding a single goal. Rivas showed exceptional composure under pressure to build attacks for his team, whilst also defending with a mature level of calmness and aggression in big moments. He was also a key performer in the final.

Defender: Rafael Pinto Pedrosa (Germany)

Rafael Pinto Pedrosa showed tactical awareness and adaptability in a Germany team which adopted different pressing approaches in high, medium, and low areas. His strong crossing technique with relational understanding to create scoring opportunities for his team was evidenced by six key assists throughout the tournament. Without the ball, Pedrosa provided full control on his side of the pitch with solid decision-making and the capacity to play aggressively when needed.

Midfielder: Pavlo Liusin (Ukraine)

Pavlo Liusin showed an exceptional ability to protect the ball under pressure and find the optimal moment to break opposition lines with a pass. His creativity was critical to Ukraine's success and resulted in him finishing the tournament with one goal and three assists.

Midfielder: Quim Junyent (Spain)

Spain midfielder Quim Junyent was named the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Player of the Tournament. "With a strong ability to play off both feet, Junyent displayed technical and tactical excellence to consistently receive the ball in high-pressure situations, combining with team-mates and breaking opposition lines with intelligent passes," explained UEFA's Technical Observer Group. "He showcased consistent high energy to press over large distances, whilst remaining calm under pressure in transitional moments." The No8 finished the competition with one goal – a delightful lob in the opening day 7-0 win over Wales – and three assists, including a standout set-up for Sergio Esteban in the 4-0 win over Germany on Matchday 3, which saw them top Group A with a spotless record.

Midfielder: Xavi Espart (Spain)

Xavi Espart dictated Spain's tempo as the vital link between defence and attack, throughout the competition. The midfielder was exceptionally reliable under pressure, and his elite technical execution in tight spaces and dangerous long-range shooting yielded two crucial goals, against Wales on Matchday 1 and the opener in the 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-finals. Out of possession, he aggressively counter-pressed to break up opposition play, providing his team with immense defensive stability and complete tactical control.

Midfielder: Thiago Pitarch (Spain)

Following a breakout season with six UEFA Champions League appearances for Real Madrid, Thiago Pitarch had a high impact on the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with five assists. He approached the tournament with high levels of maturity and quality in the final third of the pitch, whilst also developing effective relationships within the Spanish midfield unit. His tactical understanding enabled him to rotate and be effective across all positions in midfield.

Forward: Otto Stange (Germany)

Otto Stange was the joint-top goalscorer, alongside Spain's José Antonio Morante, with four goals. He showed an impressive ability to use his speed in attacking transitions to exploit space and be a threat for his side. Stange possessed a strong presence within the final third to create goalscoring opportunities for himself with a variety of finishing techniques.

Forward: José Antonio Morante (Spain)

Morante showed his ability to play off both wings, displayed a huge physical capacity and work ethic to continually run behind and pose constant problems for the opposition. He enjoyed a high attacking output: as well as finishing the competition as the joint-top scorer with four, he also contributed nine key passes.

The analysis and insights of the Technical Observers will form the basis of a technical report from the tournament, which will be available later this year on uefatechnicalreports.com.