2025 Under-21 EURO qualifying groups: See who made the finals or reached the play-offs

The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying group stage ended on Tuesday, with 12 teams having booked their final tournament slots alongside hosts Slovakia and six more earning places in November's play-offs.

Qualifying began in March 2023 but most teams kicked off their campaigns last September. The nine group winners and the three best runners-up (not counting results against sixth-placed teams) have qualified directly for the final tournament from 11 to 28 June 2025.

In September's games Netherlands and Spain both sealed qualification as group winners. Denmark, England, Germany, Portugal and Ukraine joined them in the first set of October matches and on the final day France, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovenia ensured their spots in Slovakia.

The six runners-up not directly qualified – Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Georgia and Norway – will progress to the November play-offs for the last three finals spots. The final tournament draw is in Bratislava on 3 December.

2025 U21 EURO qualifying groups

Pio Esposito (right) celebrates one of his four goals for Italy against San MarinoGetty Images

Group A: Italy (qualified), Norway (play-offs), Republic of Ireland, Türkiye, Latvia, San Marino

Unbeaten Italy defeated San Marino 7-0 and won 3-0 in Norway in September to extend their lead at the top and they secure first place by drawing 1-1 with Ireland on the final day. Four days earlier, Norway equalised in added time to draw 1-1 in Ireland and keep alive their hopes of second place, and then beat Türkiye 5-1 to go into the play-offs ahead of Ireland on head-to-head record.

Group B: Spain (qualified), Belgium (play-offs), Scotland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Malta

Unbeaten Spain qualified in September with wins in Scotland and Hungary, and finished by beating Mata to end on 28 points from ten games. Belgium won 2-0 in Scotland to move into outright second, three points ahead of their opponents. That proved enough to earn a play-off place for Belgium as although they lost 1-0 at home to Hungary, Scotland were beaten 3-2 in Kazakhstan.

The Netherlands were the first team to qualify and won all ten of their Group C gamesGetty Images

Group C: Netherlands (qualified), Georgia (play-offs), Sweden, North Macedonia, Moldova, Gibraltar

Netherlands qualified in September, and in their last game ensured they were the only team to finish qualifying with a perfect record as they won 3-0 against a Sweden side aiming to book a play-off slot. In their previous game, Sweden had come from behind to beat Georgia 3-2 and move ahead of the 2023 quarter-finalists by a single point into second place, but on the final day Georgia defeated North Macedonia 2-1 to pip Sweden to the play-offs.

Germany beat Bulgaria to seal their finals spotGetty Images

Group D: Germany (qualified), Poland (qualified), Bulgaria, Kosovo, Estonia, Israel

Germany sealed their finals slot on Friday as they defeated Bulgaria 2-1. Poland made sure of second place with a 4-0 win in Kosovo, the only other side that could still have made the top two, and then on Tuesday came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with unbeaten Germany, enough to secure qualification as one of the three best runners-up.

Group E: Romania (qualified), Finland (play-offs), Switzerland, Albania, Montenegro, Armenia

Romania won 6-2 in Montenegro in the penultimate set of games to go top as previous leaders Switzerland drew 1-1 with Finland, who would have been first rather than third had they not conceded an added-time equaliser. Romania then clinched qualification as they won 3-1 against Switzerland, who were overtaken for a play-off spot by Finland following their 2-1 defeat of Montenegro.

Group F: England (qualified), Ukraine (qualified), Serbia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan

In their penultimate match, two late goals from James McAtee gave defending champions England a 2-1 comeback win against Ukraine, who had not previously dropped a point. Although that prevented Ukraine sealing first place as their lead was reduced to two points, results elsewhere means they qualified as at worst one of the three best runners-up. England joined Ukraine in the finals by the same criteria a day at later Azerbaijan were confirmed in sixth place following their loss in Northern Ireland. England were to finish top as they defeated Azerbaijan 7-0 to finish as qualifying leading scorers on 41 goals, with Ukraine losing 1-0 to Serbia.

Group G: Portugal (qualified), Croatia (play-offs), Greece, Faroe Islands, Belarus, Andorra

Portugal came from behind and struck two late goals for a 3-1 win in the Faroe Islands that ensured their finals place, and ended with a 2-1 victory in Andorra that featured a late goal by Fábio Silva, making him qualifying top scorer on eight and on to a career U21 EURO tally of 14, just one off the record. Croatia claimed a play-off place with a 3-2 victory against Greece, who had needed a win; Croatia missed out on direct qualification as although they had the same number of points as France and Poland when results against sixth-placed teams were removed, their goal difference was the lowest of the three.

Arnaud Kalimuendo (centre) celebrates his last-gasp winner for France in Bosnia and HerzegovinaFedja Krvavac

Group H: Slovenia (qualified), France (qualified), Austria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Slovenia ensured both they and France were confirmed as the top two in their final game on Friday as they drew 1-1 with the only side that could still catch them, Austria. Although Les Bleuets then lost 2-1 at home to Austria to concede first place to Slovenia, who had only previously reached the finals as co-hosts in 2021, France also qualified as one of the three best runners-up.

Group I: Denmark (qualified), Czechia (play-offs), Wales, Iceland, Lithuania

Denmark lost for the first time in September, going down 4-2 in Iceland, but returned to form as they defeated Czechia 5-0. Although they were not in action on Friday, Denmark were confirmed in the finals as they only side that could catch them, Wales, lost their last match 2-1 at home to Czechia. Denmark ended with a 2-0 victory against Iceland while Czechia defeated Lithuania 3-0 to overtake Wales for a play-off spot on head-to-head record.

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 began qualifying 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)
4–10 September 2024
10–15 October 2024

Play-offs
11–19 November 2024