2023 Under-21 EURO: Meet the finalists

For the second time 16 teams will compete at a UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament, to run in Georgia and Romania from 21 June to 8 July 2023.

The co-hosts have been joined by the nine qualifying group winners and best runners-up Switzerland, with the play-offs deciding the last four spots, taken by Croatia, Czechia, Israel and Ukraine. We introduce the contenders.

GROUP A

Georgia (hosts)

Qualified automatically as hosts
U21 EURO best: First final tournament
Last U21 EURO: N/A

Did you know?
Previously hosted the 2017 U19 EURO, going out in the group stage after beating Sweden in between losses to Portugal and Czechia.

Portugal

Qualifying Group D winners: P10 W9 D1 L0 F41 A3
Qualifying top scorer: Gonçalo Ramos (12)
U21 EURO best: Runners-up (1994, 2015, 2021)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (runners-up)

Did you know?
Qualifying top scorer Gonçalo Ramos is within one, and 2021 Player of the Tournament Fábio Vieira is within two, of the career record of 15 U21 EURO goals (including qualifying) jointly held by Lampros Choutos (Greece), Tomáš Pekhart (Czechia) and George Puşcaş (Romania).

Previous finals meetings
vs Belgium:
D0-0 (2007 group stage)
vs Netherlands:
L1-2 (2007 group stage)

Belgium

Qualifying Group I winners: P8 W6 D2 L0 F14 A2
Qualifying top scorer: Loïs Openda (7)
U21 EURO best: Semi-finals (2007)
Last U21 EURO: 2019 (group stage)

Did you know?
Were the first team to clinch qualification, when they drew 1-1 in Denmark on 29 March.

Previous finals meetings
vs Portugal:
D0-0 (2007 group stage)
vs Netherlands:
D2-2 (2007 group stage)

Netherlands

Qualifying Group E winners: P10 W8 D2 L0 F32 A3
Qualifying top scorer: Joshua Zirkzee (7)
U21 EURO best: Winners x 2 (2006, 2007)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (semi-finals)

Did you know?
In 2007 (when they topped their group ahead of Belgium and Portugal), the Netherlands became only the third nation to successfully defend the title after England (1984) and Italy (1994 and 1996).

Previous finals meetings
vs Portugal:
W2-1 (2007 group stage)
vs Belgium:
D2-2 (2007 group stage)

GROUP B

Romania (hosts)

Qualified automatically as hosts
U21 EURO best: Semi-finals (2019)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (group stage)

Did you know?
Finished eighth out of eight teams in their previous tournament as hosts in 1998 and did not qualify again until 2019: are now preparing for their third finals in a row.

Previous finals meetings
vs Croatia:
W4-1 (2019 group stage)

Spain

Qualifying Group C winners: P8 W8 D0 L0 F37 A5
Qualifying top scorer: Abel Ruiz (7)
U21 EURO best: Winners x 5 (1986, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2019)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (semi-finals)

Did you know?
Ended their group nine points clear of runners-up Slovakia.

Previous finals meetings
vs Ukraine:
W3-0 (2011 group stage)
vs Croatia:
W2-1aet (2021 quarter-finals)
D0-0 (2000 group stage)

Ukraine

Qualifying Group H runners-up: P10 W7 D2 L1 F20 A11
Play-offs: W5-3agg vs Slovakia (L2-3a, W3-0h)
Qualifying top scorer: Dmytro Kryskiv (4)
U21 EURO best: Runners-up (2006)
Last U21 EURO: 2011 (group stage)

Did you know?
Were FIFA U-20 World Cup winners in 2019, with some of that squad eligible for this U21 edition including the hat-trick hero in the play-off second leg against Slovakia, Danylo Sikan, and Vladyslav Supryaha, who scored twice in the 3-1 World Cup final defeat of South Korea.

Previous finals meetings
vs Spain:
L0-3 (2011 group stage)

Croatia

Qualifying Group A runners-up: P10 W7 D1 L2 F25 A10
Play-offs: W3-3agg, 5-4pens vs Denmark (W2-1h, L1-2a)
Qualifying top scorer: Roko Šimić (7)
U21 EURO best: Quarter-finals (2021)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (quarter-finals)

Did you know?
Got through the group stage for the first time in 2021 with a spectacular last-gasp goal by Domagoj Bradarić, which pulled them back to 2-1 down to England; that meant they finished ahead of their opponents and Switzerland in a three-way head-to-head goals scored tie-break.

Previous finals meetings
vs Romania:
L1-4 (2019 group stage)
vs Spain:
L1-2aet (2021 quarter-finals)
D0-0 (2000 group stage)

GROUP C

Czechia

Qualifying Group G runners-up: P10 W7 D1 L2 F23 A6
Play-offs: W2-1agg vs Iceland (W2-1a, D0-0h)
Qualifying top scorers: Daniel Fila, Adam Karabec, Václav Sejk (4)
U21 EURO best: Winners (2002)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (group stage)

Did you know?
Petr Čech was their final penalty shoot-out hero against France in their sole triumph at this level in Switzerland.

Previous finals meetings
vs England:
W2-1 (2011 group stage)
D0-0 (2007 group stage)
vs Germany:
L0-2 (2017 group stage)
D1-1 (2015 group stage)

England

Qualifying Group G winners: P10 W8 D1 L1 F26 A7
Qualifying top scorer: Folarin Balogun (6)
U21 EURO best: Winners x 2 (1982, 1984)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (group stage)

Did you know?
Have qualified for the ninth final tournament in a row, every one since the switch to odd-numbered years in 2007. The 2-1 home loss to Slovenia in the last game in their group on 13 June 2022 ended England's record 54-game unbeaten run in U21 qualifying, dating back to 14 November 2011.

Previous finals meetings
vs Czechia:
L1-2 (2011 group stage)
D0-0 (2007 group stage)
vs Germany:
D2-2aet, L3-4pens (2017 semi-final)
L0-4 (2009 final)
D1-1 (2009 group stage)
W5-4agg; W3-1h, L1-2a (1982 final)
vs Israel:
L0-1 (2013 group stage)

Germany (holders)

Qualifying Group B winners: P10 W9 D0 L1 F32 A9
Qualifying top scorer: Jonathan Burkardt (7)
U21 EURO best: Winners x 3 (2009, 2017, 2021)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (winners)

Did you know?
Equalled Italy's record in 2021 by reaching the final for the third straight tournament.

Previous finals meetings
vs Czechia:
W2-0 (2017 group stage)
D1-1 (2015 group stage)
vs England:
D2-2aet, W4-3pens (2017 semi-final)
W4-0 (2009 final)
D1-1 (2009 group stage)
L4-5agg; L1-3a, W2-1h (1982 final)

Israel

Qualifying Group B runners-up: P10 W6 D1 L3 F19 A10
Play-offs: W1-1agg, 3-1pens vs Republic of Ireland (D1-1a, D0-0h)
Qualifying top scorer: Omri Gandelman (3)
U21 EURO best: Group stage (2007, 2013)
Last U21 EURO: 2013 (group stage)

Did you know?
2007 was the only previous time Israel have come through qualifying, having been in the 2013 finals as hosts.

Previous finals meetings
vs England:
W1-0 (2013 group stage)

GROUP D

Norway

Qualifying Group A winners: P10 W8 D0 L2 F26 A11
Qualifying top scorer: Jørgen Larsen (6)
U21 EURO best: Third place (1998)/Semi-finals (2013)
Last U21 EURO: 2013 (semi-finals)

Previous finals meetings
vs Italy:
D1-1 (2013 group stage)

Did you know?
Have made the last four in both previous finals appearances.

Switzerland

Qualifying Group E runners-up, best runners-up: P10 W7 D2 L1 F22 A6
Qualifying top scorer: Zeki Amdouni (6)
U21 EURO best: Runners-up (2011)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (group stage)

Did you know?
In 2011, with Yann Sommer in goal, the Swiss did not concede until their 2-0 loss to Spain in the final.

Previous finals meetings
vs France:
L0-2 (2002 semi-final)
vs Italy:
D0-0 (2002 group stage)

France

Qualifying Group H winners: P10 W8 D2 L0 F31 A5
Qualifying top scorer: Amine Gouiri (5)
U21 EURO best: Winners (1988)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (quarter-finals)

Did you know?
Have not gone out in the group stage in their four qualifications since that round was introduced.

Previous finals meetings
vs Switzerland:
W2-0 (2002 semi-final)
vs Italy:
L0-1 (1996 semi-finals)
D0-0aet, L3-5pens (1994 semi-finals)

Italy

Qualifying Group F winners: P10 W7 D3 L0 F19 A5
Qualifying top scorer: Nicolò Rovella 3
U21 EURO best: Winners x 5 (1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2004)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (quarter-finals)

Did you know?
The only nation to win three titles in a row, and share the overall record of five with Spain.

Previous finals meetings
vs Norway:
D1-1 (2013 group stage)
vs Switzerland:
D0-0 (2002 group stage)
vs France:
W1-0 (1996 semi-finals)
D0-0aet, W5-3pens (1994 semi-finals)