2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship preview: Full schedule and how to watch live action
Three nations will qualify for the Paris 2024 Games at the event in Romania and Georgia starting on June 21. Get the complete schedule, dates of the matches, teams involved, and more about this Olympic Qualifier.
Football
Romania and Georgia are co-hosting the men's 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship which also serves as qualification for the Olympic football tournament. There are 16 teams involved, and the stars of tomorrow will be fighting for continental glory between 21 June to 8 July.
The likes of Manuel Neuer, Andrea Pirlo, Xavi, and Harry Kane have all previously played in the U21 tournament that is considered a breeding ground of future top players.
Two years ago, Hungary and Slovenia hosted the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Germany claimed the victory by beating Portugal 1-0 in the final. Lukas Nmecha scored the only goal of the match.
However, Germany face a tough battle to reclaim the title. Spain, England, France, and Italy are expected to challenge the defending champions. Israel could spring a surprise after their stunnning performace at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
This time, there are also qualification slots for the next Olympics at stake. Europe has three berths, in addition to France, who automatically qualify as Paris 2024 hosts.
So, when and where are the U21 Euros? What are the fixture dates? Who quailed for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship? Where can you find a schedule? Who are the biggest stars to watch?
Read on for the answers to all the big questions on the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
When is the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship?
The 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Romania and Georgia begins on Wednesday 21 June, and runs through to Saturday 8 July.
Romania have previously hosted the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 1998. The final took place in Bucharest, which also was one of the venues for UEFA EURO 2020.
Georgia have hosted the 2017 U19 EURO. The 2015 UEFA Super Cup between Barcelona and Sevilla was played in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.
Where will the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship be held?
The tournament will be held in eight different stadiums across Romania and Georgia.
In Georgia, Batumi Arena (Batumi), Shengelia Arena (Kutaisi), Meskhi Stadium (Tbilisi), and Paichadze Stadium (Tbilisi) are the venues selected for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Romania have selected Giulești Stadium (Bucharest), Steaua Stadium (Bucharest), CFR Cluj Stadium (Cluj-Napoca), and Cluj Arena (Cluj-Napoca) as the venues.
The final and one of the semi-finals will be played at the Batumi Stadium in Georgia, with a capacity of 20,383. Steaua Stadium in the Romanian capital will host the other semi-final.
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Which teams qualified for the tournament?
The 16 countries qualified for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship are Georgia (hosts), Romania (hosts), Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, Croatia, Czechia, England, Germany (holders), Israel, Norway, Switzerland, France, and Italy.
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship draw: Groups
The teams have been drawn into eight groups with four teams in each group. In each group of four, the countries will play the other teams once. The winner of each match is awarded three points, there is one point each the game ends in a draw, and the loser gets no points.
When all countries have faced each other in the group stage, the two teams with most points in each group will qualify for the knock-out rounds, beginning with quarter-finals.
Check out the four groups below.
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: All fixtures
All times are in CET.
Wednesday, 21 June
Group A: Georgia vs Portugal (18:00, Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi)
Group: A: Belgium vs Netherlands (18:00, Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi)
Group B: Ukraine vs Croatia (18:00, Giulești Stadium, Bucharest)
Group B: Romania vs Spain (20:45, Steaua Stadium, Bucharest)
Thursday, 22 June
Group C: Czechia vs England (18:00, Batumi Arena, Batumi)
Group C: Germany vs Israel (18:00, Shengelia Arena, Kutaisi)
Group D: Norway vs Switzerland (18:00, CFR Cluj Stadium, Cluj-Napoca)
Group D: France vs Italy (20:45, Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca)
Saturday, 24 June
Group A: Georgia vs Belgium (18:00, Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi)
Group A: Portugal vs Netherlands (18:00, Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi)
Group B: Romania vs Ukraine (18:00, Steaua Stadium, Bucharest)
Group B: Spain vs Croatia (20:45, Giulești Stadium, Bucharest)
Sunday, 25 June
Group C: Czechia vs Germany (18:00, Batumi Arena, Batumi)
Group C: England vs Israel (18:00, Shengelia Arena, Kutaisi)
Group D: Switzerland vs Italy (18:00, Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca)
Group D: Norway vs France (20:45, CFR Cluj Stadium, Cluj-Napoca)
Tuesday, 27 June
Group A: Netherlands vs Georgia (18:00, Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi)
Group A: Portugal vs Belgium (18:00, Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi)
Group B: Croatia vs Romania (20:45, Steaua Stadium, Bucharest)
Group B: Spain vs Ukraine (20:45, Giulești Stadium, Bucharest)
Wednesday, 28 June
Group C: England vs Germany (18:00, Batumi Arena, Batumi)
Group C: Israel vs Czechia (18:00, Shengelia Arena, Kutaisi)
Group D Switzerland vs France (20:45, CFR Cluj Stadium, Cluj-Napoca)
Group D: Italy vs Norway (20:45, Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca)
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship knockout stage schedule
- 1 July – 2 July: Quarter-finals
- 5 July: Semi-finals.
- 8 July: 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final
Full schedule subject to change.
How can teams qualify for the Olympics football tournament?
The 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship will serve as an Olympic Qualifying Event for the European countries. France are already qualified as hosts. There are three more slots at stake, for the three best teams at the tournament.
If France qualify for the semi-finals, the other three semi-finalists will qualify for the Olympic football tournament. The scenario is the same if England qualify to the semi-finals, as the English team are ineligible for the 2024 Olympics.
If both England and France qualify for the semi-finals, there will be a play-off match between the two best quarter-finalists for the last Olympic slot.
If neither England nor France reach the semis, the third Paris 2024 berth is decided in a play-off match between the two losing semi-finalists.
UEFA will confirm the applicable scenario during the European Under-21 Championship, as well as possible play-off match date and venue.
In the men's Olympic football tournament, athletes born on or after 1 January 2001 (aged 23 at the time of Paris 2024) are eligible to play. However, each nation can select three players born before the mentioned date, above the age limit, in their 18-player squad list.
Players to watch at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Germany: The defending champions and head coach Antonio Di Salvo will have Youssoufa Moukoko from Dortmund to lead the attack. The 18-year-old has played 26 games for the Bundesliga runner-up this season, scoring seven times and providing four assists. Despite his young age, he has already debuted for the Germany national team. Also, Josha Vagnoman of Hamburger SV and Kevin Schade of Brentford have played for the Germany national team and are part of the U21 squad in Georgia and Romania.
France: Head coach Sylvain Ripoll has selected a very talented squad for the host nation. Amine Gouiri of Rennes will be one of the key players in scoring goals for the French team, having netted 15 in Ligue 1 this season. In defence, the 23-year-old Pierre Kalulu from AC Milan will add some experience to the young team. He won the Scudetto with I Rossoneri last year and played 34 matches for the Italians this 2022/23 season.
Italy: Italy have the chance to be the first team to win the tournament six times. The head coach Paolo Nicolato has two very prominent players to lead Gli Azzurrini to take another title in shape of AC Milan’s midfielder Sandro Tonali and Juventus striker Moise Kean. Both players have played in the Champions League and won the Scudetto, besides having played more than ten matches for the senior national team.
Spain: Some of the biggest Spanish stars that are eligible to play are staying at home. Instead head coach Santi Denia have included players like Gabri Veiga of Celta Vigo, Álex Baena of Villareal, and Ander Barrenetxea of Real Sociedad to lead the team. Spain, like Italy, can also win the tournament for the sixth time. They last won the tournament in 2019.
England: The Young Lions of Lee Carsley’s are set to win for the first time since 1984. The star-studded team feature Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, who are preparing in a training camp at St. George’s Par. The final selection will be made on Wednesday 14 June.
Israel, Portugal, Netherlands, and Belgium are among the outsiders to claim the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: How to watch live action
The full tournament will be televised with every match filmed and screened via TV and digital livestreams via UEFA's broadcast partners in Europe and worldwide.
- Co-hosts Romania have action live on TVR.
- Co-hosts Georgia will be showing games on GPB.
- In England and the UK, action is live on Sky Sports.
- In France, YLE hold the rights.
- Rai are the rightsholders in Italy.
- ESPN and Univision will also stream the games in the USA.
Some games will be streamed live on UEFA.tv, which will also offer highlights of every match at midnight CEST after the game.
A full list of broadcasters can be found on the UEFA website.
Previous winners of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship was held in the current format for the first time in 1978. Since then, the tournament has been held every other year until 2007, where it started taking place in uneven years.
Yugoslavia won the first edition, beating East Germany in the final. Germany are the reigning champions. Italy and Spain have claimed the most titles in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, both having won five times prior to this 2023 edition.
Winners of the Under-21 European Championships
- 1978: Yugoslavia
- 1980: Soviet Union
- 1982: England
- 1984: England
- 1986: Spain
- 1988: France
- 1990: Soviet Union
- 1992: Italy
- 1994: Italy
- 1996: Italy
- 1998: Spain
- 2000: Italy
- 2002: Czechia
- 2004: Italy
- 2006: Netherlands
- 2007: Netherlands
- 2009: Germany
- 2011: Spain
- 2013: Spain
- 2015: Sweden
- 2017: Germany
- 2019: Spain
- 2021: Germany