Under-19 Futsal EURO main round starts Tuesday

Holders Portugal and two-time winners Spain are among the teams that will begin their UEFA European Under-19 Futsal Championship qualifying campaigns in the main round from 25 to 30 March.

Azerbaijan, Estonia and Germany filled the last slots by winning their groups in January's preliminary round. Those three nations will compete with the 25 teams setting out in the main round. The seven main round group winners will join hosts Moldova in the finals at Chișinău Arena, scheduled from 28 September to 5 October.

Main round groups

Group 1 (27–30 March): Italy, Romania, Slovakia (hosts), Germany

Group 2 (26–29 March): Spain, Finland, Hungary (hosts), England

Group 3 (27–30 March): Portugal (hosts), France, Belarus, Kazakhstan

Group 4 (26–29 March): Slovenia, Belgium, Latvia (hosts), Andorra

Group 5 (26–29 March): Ukraine, Netherlands, Serbia (hosts), Montenegro

Group 6 (25–28 March): Poland, Czechia (hosts), Greece, Estonia

Group 7 (26–29 March): Croatia (hosts), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Türkiye, Azerbaijan

Meet the teams

• Portugal are the current holders, having beaten Spain in the 2023 final after finishing runners-up in 2022 and semi-finalists in 2019.
• Spain won the first two editions, in 2019 and as hosts in 2022, before losing the 2023 final.
• Croatia were runners-up in 2019 and have reached both subsequent final tournaments, including as hosts in 2023.
• Ukraine reached the semi-finals in 2022 and 2023 and also qualified in 2019.
• Slovenia reached the semis on their finals debut in 2023.
• Other teams aiming for a finals return are Finland (2023), France (2022 and 2023), Italy (2022 and 2023), Latvia (2019 hosts), Netherlands (2019), Poland (2019 and 2022) and Romania (2022).
• Estonia and Germany will both make their main round debuts. Estonia have become the first team from their nation to progress through a round of UEFA futsal competition at senior or youth level.
• Romania beat Slovakia 4-0 to qualify in 2022.
• Spain drew 1-1 with Hungary in the 2023 main round, equalising in the 39th minute. Spain went on to pip Hungary to a finals spot on goal difference.
• Portugal beat France 5-1 in the 2023 finals and Belarus 9-0 in the main round that year. Portugal also defeated France 2-1 in the 2022 finals.
• Belgium saw off Latvia 2-0 in the 2023 main round and Andorra 3-2 a year earlier.
• Ukraine dispatched Serbia 4-2 to qualify for the 2023 finals after both teams had defeated Montenegro in the same group.
• Ukraine beat the Netherlands 7-0 in the 2019 finals.
• Montenegro downed the Netherlands 3-0 in the 2022 main round.
• Czechia and Greece drew 1-1 in the 2022 main round. Czechia defeated Greece 6-2 three years previously at the same stage.
• Azerbaijan lost 4-1 to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2023 main round and 6-1 to Croatia a year earlier.