UEFA U21 Championship - Qualification 2027/28

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship is a biennial football tournament organized by the continental governing body. It brings together men's under-21 national teams from its member associations. The event operates on a specific age bracket where players must be under 21 at the start of the qualification phase, though they can be up to age 23 by the time the final tournament takes place. This structure distinguishes it from the strictly under-19 competition.

The primary objective for participating nations is securing a spot in the Summer Olympic Games football tournament. Since 1992, the finalists and other top-placed teams from the European cycle have earned qualification for the Olympics. The main tournament is held in odd-numbered years and currently features 16 teams, a figure expanded from 12 in 2017. A designated host nation or nations organize the final stage.

Qualification is structured through nine groups consisting of five or six teams each. These groups are played as home-and-away round-robin leagues. The winner of each group and the best runners-up advance directly to the final tournament. The remaining runners-up enter a play-off round to decide the final places. There is no promotion or relegation between the different UEFA youth competitions, including the U21, U19, and U17 levels.

Historically, the competition was an Under-23 event before adopting its current format in 1978. Italy and Spain hold the record for the most titles with five each. England has won the tournament four times and are the current holders following their victory in 2025. The event does not have an official title sponsor.