Spain take fifth WU19 EURO title in a row in Sarajevo

Spain continued to rewrite the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship record books in 2026, claiming a fifth title in a row and eighth overall.

A year before, Spain had beaten two records held by Germany with a fourth straight title and seventh in all. And in the final in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was Germany who Spain defeated 1-0 to keep their run going.

Germany topped Group A, opening with a 5-0 win against hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina, making their WU19 EURO finals debut, before drawing 1-1 with Poland and beating Sweden 2-0. Sweden were already through having won 1-0 versus Poland and 5-0 against the hosts. Bosnia and Herzegovina did have the consolation of scoring their first UEFA women's final tournament goal through Natalija Mirković in the 5-1 loss to Poland, who still bowed out.

Spain were held 2-2 by Switzerland on Matchday 1, denied by a late Emanuela Pfister penalty, but then hit four first-half goals in beating Iceland 4-0 and topped Group B with a 2-1 defeat of Austria. Before that game Austria had already earned a debut UEFA women's youth semi-final as they won 3-0 against Iceland and 3-1 versus Switzerland. That meant Switzerland's 4-3 win against Iceland on Matchday 3 was in vain.

The Spain momentum continued in the semi-finals as they cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria with goals from Alba Cerrato, Rosalía Domínguez and Ainoa Gómez (all taking them to three for the finals, which was to leave them joint-top with Switzerland's Pfister). Austria, depleted by injury and illness, pushed Germany all the way but lost 1-0 to Tessa Zimmermann's extra-time winner.

In the only previous UEFA final tournament in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 2022 WU17 EURO, Germany beat Spain on penalties in the Grbavica Stadium, Sarajevo final. But at the same venue four years on, although Germany started both halves brightly, Spain controlled most of the game and won 1-0 with a goal on the hour by captain Irune Dorado.

Rosalía created that goal and was named Player of the Tournament. For Laia López, Alba Cerrato, Celia Segura, Ainoa Gómez, Emma Moreno, Amaya García, Irune Dorado and Elene Gurtubay it was their second WU19 EURO title in a row.

Indeed, Laia López, Alba Cerrato, Celia Segura, Ainoa Gómez, Emma Moreno, Amaya García and Irune Dorado had already been part of Spain's 2024 WU17 EURO triumph. And Segura, who also helped Spain finish 2023 WU17 EURO runners-up, equalled the record of four UEFA youth tournament final appearances held by compatriots Aitana Bonmati, Patri Guijarro, Andrea Falcon, Nuria Garrote and Nahikari García.