2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification

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DatesQualifying round:
8 October – 18 November 2025
Elite round:
25 March – 31 March 2026
Teams53 (from 1 confederation)
Matchesplayed120
Goals scored368 (3.07 per match)
2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification
Tournament details
DatesQualifying round:
8 October – 18 November 2025
Elite round:
25 March – 31 March 2026
Teams53 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played120
Goals scored368 (3.07 per match)
Top scorer(s)Germany Francis Onyeka
(8 goals)
2025
2027
All statistics correct as of 31 March 2026.

The 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification was an under-19 men's national football team competition that determined the seven teams joining the automatically qualified hosts Wales in the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final tournament.[1]

Russia were excluded from the tournament due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Therefore, excluding hosts Wales, 53 teams entered this qualification competition, which consists of the Qualifying round played in September–November 2025, followed by the Elite round played in spring 2026. Spain received a bye to the Elite round and did not participate in the Qualifying round. Players born on or after 1 January 2007 are eligible to participate.

Tiebreakers

The qualification consists of two rounds; both consist of several groups, which are played as single-round-robin mini-tournaments, with one team from each group selected as the host after the draw.

  • Qualifying round: Apart from Spain, which received a bye to the Elite round as the team with the highest seeding coefficient, the remaining 52 teams were drawn into 13 groups of four. The 13 group winners, the 13 runners-up, and the best third-placed team will advance to the Elite round.
  • Elite round: 28 teams will be drawn into seven groups of four. The group winners will qualify for the final tournament.

In a group, teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Articles 14.01 and 14.02):[2]

  1. Points in head to head matches among tied teams
  2. Goal difference in head to head matches among tied teams
  3. Goals scored in head to head matches among tied teams
  4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams
  5. Goal difference in all group matches
  6. Goals scored in all group matches
  7. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams have the same number of points, and they met in the last round of the group and are tied after applying all criteria above (not used if more than two teams have the same number of points, or if their rankings are not relevant for qualification for the next stage)
  8. Disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for 2 yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
  9. UEFA coefficient ranking for the Qualifying round draw

To determine the best third-placed team from the Qualifying round, the results against the teams in fourth place are discarded. The following criteria are applied (Regulations Articles 15.01 and 15.02):[2]

  1. Points
  2. Goal difference
  3. Goals scored
  4. Disciplinary points
  5. UEFA coefficient ranking for the Qualifying round draw

Qualifying round

Elite round

Draw

The draw for the Elite round was held on 10 December 2025 at 11:00 CET at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.[5]

The teams were seeded according to their results in the Qualifying round. Spain, which received a bye to the Elite round, were automatically seeded to the top position in Pot 1. Each group contains one team from Pot 1, one team from Pot 2, one team from Pot 3, and one team from Pot 4. Winners and runners-up from the same Qualifying round group could not be drawn in the same group, but the best third-placed team could be drawn in the same group as winners or runners-up from the same Qualifying round group.

To determine this ranking, the results against the teams in fourth place were discarded and the following criteria were applied (Regulations Articles 15.01 and 15.02):[2][6]

  1. Position in a Qualifying round group
  2. Points
  3. Goal difference
  4. Goals scored
  5. Disciplinary points
  6. UEFA coefficient ranking for the Qualifying round draw
Teams entering Elite round[7]
Pos Grp Team RQ Pld Pts GD GS DP Coeff Seeding
1 Bye  Spain       Pot 1
2 13  Czech Republic 1st 2 6 9 10      
3 9  Italy 1st 2 6 9 9 3   
4 8  England 1st 2 6 9 9 4   
5 12  Germany 1st 2 6 6 7      
6 5  Ukraine 1st 2 6 6 6      
7 6  Croatia 1st 2 6 5 6      
8 1  Netherlands 1st 2 6 3 6       Pot 2
9 4  Austria 1st 2 6 3 4 6   
10 3  Turkey 1st 2 6 3 4 7   
11 2  France 1st 2 6 2 4      
12 11  Portugal 1st 2 4 3 5      
13 7  Romania 1st 2 4 3 4      
14 10  Denmark 1st 2 3 6 7      
15 7  Finland 2nd 2 4 1 4       Pot 3
16 11  Belgium 2nd 2 4 1 2      
17 12  Norway 2nd 2 3 3 5      
18 3  Greece 2nd 2 3 1 3      
19 5  Slovakia 2nd 2 3 0 3      
20 9  Poland 2nd 2 3 0 2 2   
21 1  Kazakhstan 2nd 2 3 0 2 7   
22 10  Sweden 2nd 2 3 0 1       Pot 4
23 6  Serbia 2nd 2 3 −1 4      
24 13  Northern Ireland 2nd 2 3 −3 1      
25 8  Latvia 2nd 2 3 −6 2      
26 2  Hungary 2nd 2 1 −1 2 6 8.333
27 4  Slovenia 2nd 2 1 −1 2 6 7.333
28 10   Switzerland 3rd 2 3 −6 1      

Times are CET (UTC+1) as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Germany (H) 3 2 1 0 6 4 +2 7 Final tournament
2  Austria 3 1 1 1 6 4 +2 4
3  Greece 3 0 2 1 3 4 1 2
4  Sweden 3 0 2 1 4 7 3 2
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Greece 1–1 Austria
Report
DFB-Campus, Frankfurt am Main
Referee: Bulat Sariyev (Kazakhstan)
Germany 2–2 Sweden
Report
Sportpark Dreieich, Dreieich
Referee: Sam Barrott (England)

Austria 3–0 Sweden
Report
DFB-Campus, Frankfurt am Main
Referee: Antoni Bandić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Germany 1–0 Greece
Report
Sportpark Dreieich, Dreieich
Referee: Bulat Sariyev (Kazakhstan)

Austria 2–3 Germany
Report
Sportpark Dreieich, Dreieich
Referee: Sam Barrott (England)
Sweden 2–2 Greece
Report
DFB-Campus, Frankfurt am Main
Referee: Antoni Bandić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Serbia 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 7 Final tournament
2  England 3 2 0 1 7 2 +5 6
3  Portugal (H) 3 1 1 1 2 7 5 4
4  Poland 3 0 0 3 0 3 3 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
England 0–2 Serbia
Report
Pista de Atletismo Gémeos Castro, Guimarães
Referee: Jacob Karlsen (Denmark)
Poland 0–1 Portugal
Report
Estádio Amélia Morais, Braga
Referee: Christian-Petru Ciorchica (Austria)

England 1–0 Poland
Report
Pista de Atletismo Gémeos Castro, Guimarães
Referee: Jacob Karlsen (Denmark)
Portugal 1–1 Serbia
Report

Portugal 0–6 England
Report
Estádio Amélia Morais, Braga
Referee: Christian-Petru Ciorchica (Austria)
Serbia 1–0 Poland
Report
Referee: Amine Kourgheli (Belarus)

Group 3

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Croatia (H) 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7 Final tournament
2  France 3 1 2 0 5 4 +1 5
3   Switzerland 3 1 0 2 4 7 3 3
4  Norway 3 0 1 2 3 5 2 1
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Croatia 4–1  Switzerland
Report
Referee: Oliver Reitala (Finland)
Norway 2–2 France
Report
Referee: Ben Mcmaster (Northern Ireland)

Croatia 1–0 Norway
Report
Referee: Damian Kos (Poland)
France 2–1  Switzerland
Report
Referee: Oliver Reitala (Finland)

France 1–1 Croatia
Report
Switzerland 2–1 Norway
Report
Referee: Damian Kos (Poland)

Group 4

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Denmark 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 7 Final tournament
2  Belgium 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
3  Czech Republic (H) 3 1 0 2 4 3 +1 3
4  Latvia 3 1 0 2 2 7 5 3
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Czech Republic 3–0 Latvia
Report
Stadion Za Místním nádražím, Prostějov
Attendance: 687
Referee: Aleko Aptsiauri (Georgia)
Belgium 0–0 Denmark
Report
Attendance: 155
Referee: Ivar Orri Kristjansson (Iceland)

Czech Republic 0–1 Belgium
Report
Stadion Za Místním nádražím, Prostějov
Attendance: 725
Referee: João Gonçalves (Portugal)
Denmark 3–0 Latvia
Report
Attendance: 138
Referee: Aleko Aptsiauri (Georgia)

Denmark 2–1 Czech Republic
Report
Stadion Za Místním nádražím, Prostějov
Attendance: 438
Referee: João Gonçalves (Portugal)
Latvia 2–1 Belgium
Report
Attendance: 70
Referee: Ivar Orri Kristjansson (Iceland)

Group 5

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Ukraine 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 7 Final tournament
2  Northern Ireland 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4
3  Kazakhstan 3 1 0 2 2 4 2 3
4  Romania (H) 3 0 2 1 1 3 2 2
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Ukraine 1–0 Northern Ireland
Report
Referee: Lukasz Kuzma (Poland)
Kazakhstan 2–0 Romania
Report
Referee: Philip Farrugia (Malta)

Ukraine 3–0 Kazakhstan
Report
Romania 0–0 Northern Ireland
Report
Referee: Lukasz Kuzma (Poland)

Romania 1–1 Ukraine
Report
Northern Ireland 1–0 Kazakhstan
Report
Referee: Philip Farrugia (Malta)

Group 6

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Italy (H) 3 2 1 0 7 1 +6 7 Final tournament
2  Turkey 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
3  Hungary 3 1 0 2 6 8 2 3
4  Slovakia 3 0 0 3 2 8 6 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Slovakia 0–1 Turkey
Report
Referee: Danilo Nikolić (Serbia)
Italy 3–0 Hungary
Report
Referee: Bastien Dechepy (France)

Turkey 3–2 Hungary
Report
Referee: Bastien Dechepy (France)
Italy 3–0 Slovakia
Report
Referee: Gustavo Correia (Portugal)

Turkey 1–1 Italy
Report
Referee: Danilo Nikolić (Serbia)
Hungary 4–2 Slovakia
Report
Referee: Gustavo Correia (Portugal)

Group 7

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Spain (H) 3 3 0 0 11 0 +11 9 Final tournament
2  Netherlands 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 6
3  Finland 3 1 0 2 1 7 6 3
4  Slovenia 3 0 0 3 1 7 6 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Finland 0–3 Netherlands
Report
Spain 4–0 Slovenia
Report

Netherlands 2–1 Slovenia
Report
Campo Municipal Antonio Solana, Alicante
Referee: Tim Marshall (Northern Ireland)
Spain 4–0 Finland
Report

Netherlands 0–3 Spain
Report
Slovenia 0–1 Finland
Report

Goalscorers

References

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