UEFA U17 Championship 2026/27

The UEFA European Under-17 Championship is the premier tournament for male players under the age of 17 in Europe. Originally established as the Under-16 Championship, the competition was founded by UEFA with its inaugural final tournament held in Italy in 1982. It serves as the primary route for qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, distinguishing it from the Under-19 Championship, which is held in even-numbered years and leads to the U-20 World Cup. The Under-17 edition takes place in odd-numbered years.

The format has undergone significant evolution since its inception. Starting with just four teams, the final tournament expanded to 16 participants in 1985 before fluctuating between 20, eight, and 16 teams over subsequent decades. For the recent 2025 edition, the structure was reduced to eight finalists again. The current setup includes a qualifying round followed by an elite round in league format to determine the finalists. These eight teams split into two groups of four, with single-leg semi-finals and a final deciding the winner.

Spain holds the record for the most titles with nine victories, followed by Portugal with seven. Portugal is the current reigning champion after defeating France 3–0 in the 2025 final. Italy secured the title in the preceding 2024 edition. The competition underwent a name change from Under-16 to Under-17 in 2002, coinciding with a shift in the age eligibility cutoff date from August 1 to January 1.