Under-19 Futsal EURO 2023 main round: Italy, Finland, France, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Ukraine qualify for Croatia

Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, holders Spain and Ukraine topped their UEFA European Under-19 Futsal Championship main round groups to join hosts Croatia in the finals.

In all, 36 teams entered the third edition, with 35 competing to join Croatia in the finals at Žatika Arena in Poreč, scheduled from 3–10 September. Spain won the first two editions in 2019, beating Croatia in the final, and 2022, with the competition now returning to its regular schedule after the second edition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spain were among the 25 nations who entered directly in the main round, joined by January's preliminary round winners England, Kosovo and Montenegro. The teams topping each of the seven main round mini-tournaments have progressed to the finals alongside Croatia.

Main round groups

Slovenia beat hosts Moldova 11-0 and Kazakhstan 5-0 either side of a 1-1 draw with Poland to finish top on goal difference and qualify for the first time. Poland had reached the semi-finals in both previous editions.

Ukraine beat hosts Serbia 4-2 on Saturday to keep up their record of qualifying for all three tournaments, reaching the 2022 semi-finals. Romania were also knocked out by Ukraine in the 2022 group stage and 2019 main round.

Ukraine won their three gamesFSS

Hosts Portugal, runners-up in 2002 and semi-finalists in 2019, followed their opening win against Belarus by defeating main round debutants Kosovo, enough to take them through even before the 9-0 win against Slovakia.

Finland drew their opener 3-3 with Latvia having led the group hosts 3-0 in the opening seven minutes. However, Finland then beat Belgium 1-0 and Georgia 7-2. Although Latvia also defeated Georgia, they lost the group's last match 2-0 to Belgium meaning Finland, who missed out in 2022 in a three-way head-to-head tie-break, will make their finals debut this year.

France qualified for the second tournament running, winning the group decider 5-3 against hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Spain, who triumphed in both previous editions, needed a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Hungary (the first time they had failed to win a U19 Futsal EURO qualifier) in their second game. Hungary's 5-0 win against Andorra (who Spain beat by the same score) gave them hope but the holders booked their place on goal difference by beating hosts Netherlands 6-1, among their scorers Adrián Tapias, who was part of their squad for Spain's 2022 home finals victory.

Hosts Italy, having beaten Czechia in their opener, were then denied victory when England levelled to make it 2-2 with four seconds left. Czechia pipped England 4-3 in their last game, meaning Italy now needed a win against Türkiye, which they achieved 4-2 in a tense finish.

England equalised in the final seconds against Italy, who still ended up topping Group 7FIGC