UEFA U21 Championship 2025/26

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship serves as the premier youth football competition in Europe. It brings together the under-21 men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The tournament operates on a biennial schedule held in odd-numbered years, a structure adopted in 2007 to give players more time for development before moving to senior squads.

Qualification involves a rigorous group stage and knockout phase. Fifty-one nations currently enter the process, divided into nine groups. The nine group winners and the three best runners-up progress directly to the final tournament. Six other runners-up compete in play-off ties to secure the remaining spots. The host nation qualifies automatically. The final event features 16 teams.

England is the current reigning champion after winning the 2025 final in Slovakia. They have claimed the title four times, joining Italy and Spain as the most successful nations with five victories each. Germany has won three titles, while other winners include the Soviet Union, the Netherlands, West Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden, France, and Yugoslavia.

A distinctive feature of this competition is its dual role. Since 1992, the top four teams from the championship qualify for the Summer Olympics men's football tournament. Although the Olympic event is an under-23 competition allowing three over-age players, the European championship strictly enforces the under-21 age limit at the start of the qualifying campaign.

The next edition, scheduled for 2027, will be co-hosted by Albania and Serbia. Qualification for that tournament runs from 2025 to 2026. The competition remains distinct from the senior UEFA European Championship, focusing entirely on the pathway for young talent within the continent.