2025-27 Under-21 EURO qualifying latest
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
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The groups decide ten finals places alongside co-hosts Albania and Serbia plus eight play-off slots.
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The 2025-27 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying group stage runs until 6 October 2026, followed by play-offs the following month ahead of the final tournament in summer 2027 in Albania and Serbia.
The decisive fixtures are all in the new double window in September and October. The nine group winners and the runner-up with the best record (not counting results against sixth-placed teams) qualify directly for the final tournament to join co-hosts Albania and Serbia. The eight other runners-up contest play-offs to determine the four remaining finalists.
U21 EURO qualifying groups
Group A: Spain, Finland, Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, San Marino
Spain are top with seven wins out of six after a 7-0 success in Cyprus and 2-0 defeat of Kosovo in March. Finland, who play Spain next on 25 September, are five points behind following an 8-0 win in San Marino and 3-0 defeat of Cyprus. Romania won 1-0 in Kosovo and 3-0 against San Marino to remain within three points of Finland.
Group B: Portugal, Czechia, Scotland, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Gibraltar
Portugal are five points clear at the top and yet to concede a goal after March's 4-0 win in Azerbaijan and 3-0 defeat of Scotland. That result meant Czechia's 5-0 win against Gibraltar took them clear in second, three points ahead of Scotland (who have played a game more and were previously held 0-0 at home by Czechia). Bulgaria are also three points behind Czechia having won 1-0 in Gibraltar but been held 0-0 by Azerbaijan.
Group C: France, Switzerland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Estonia
Unbeaten France followed up their 5-1 defeat of Luxembourg with a 2-1 win against Iceland. Switzerland beat the Faroe Islands 1-0 and Estonia 2-1 to stay within two points of France, who have a game in hand. Iceland are three points further back, and two ahead of the Faroe Islands.
Group D: England (holders), Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Andorra, Moldova, Kazakhstan
England needed a 90th-minute penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw in Andorra, the first team in the group to score against or take points off the reigning champions, but the holders then defeated Moldova 4-1. Slovakia are three points behind after their 3-1 win in Kazakhstan, where Ireland then secured a 1-0 triumph to go back to within five of second place.
Group E: Poland, Italy, Montenegro, Sweden, North Macedonia, Armenia
Poland made it eight wins out of seven in defeating Armenia 4-1 and Montenegro 1-0. Italy, like Poland now assured of a top-two finish, stayed within three points of they side that beat them 2-1 in November by winning 4-0 in March against both North Macedonia and Sweden. Poland host Sweden on 30 September and Italy visit Armenia the next day before the top two meet to end the group on 5 October.
Group F: Germany, Greece, Northern Ireland, Georgia, Latvia, Malta
Germany ended March with a vital 2-0 win in Greece to end their hosts' perfect record and go top, having lost the home encounter 3-2 in October. Northern Ireland, who had previously lost 3-0 in Germany, are within eight points of the top two following a 3-1 in Latvia, with Georgia one further behind following their 4-1 defeat of Malta.
Group G: Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Netherlands, Slovenia
Norway came from behind to beat Netherlands 3-2 with an added-time winner but their perfect record was ended and chance of early qualification dashed by a 2-0 loss in Slovenia. That allowed Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel to stay in touch with Norway after their own 0-0 draw. They are both five points behind Norway, who have a game in hand, as do the Netherlands, two further back along with Slovenia.
Group H: Croatia, Türkiye, Ukraine, Hungary, Lithuania
Unbeaten Croatia went top with a 3-0 win against Türkiye, two points behind having played a game more. Ukraine are three points off 26 September opponents Türkiye after drawing 1-1 with Lithuania and winning 2-1 in Hungary.
Group I: Belgium, Austria Denmark, Wales, Belarus
Belgium, Austria (who have played a game more) and Denmark are level on tem points, four ahead of Wales, setting up a tense finish. In March, Belgium got a late winner to prevail 1-0 against Austria, who then beat Belarus 2-1 while Denmark defeated Wales 4-0.
Team guide
- England retained the title in 2025 taking them to four victories, one short of the record jointly held by Italy and Spain.
- Germany were runners-up in 2025 with France and the Netherlands beaten in the semi-finals and Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Spain reaching the last eight. Finland, Czechia, Georgia, Poland, Romania, hosts Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine also took part in the final tournament.
- Teams involved in qualifying able to join co-hosts Albania in making a first final tournament appearance since the end of the old two-legged format in 1994 are Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Ireland, San Marino and Wales.
U21 EURO qualifying dates
Qualifying group stage
▪ 5–10 June 2025
▪ 4–9 September 2025
▪ 9–14 October 2025
▪ 13–18 November 2025
▪ 26–31 March 2026
▪ 24 September–6 October 2026
Play-offs
▪ 9–17 November 2026