2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Teams and Players to Watch

By Sportypoll Staff I June 4, 2025

Slovakia is set to welcome the youngest stars in European football in June 2025 for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Historically, the tournament has been a breeding ground for exceptional talent, with the likes of Mesut Özil, Harry Kane, Andrea Pirlo, and Luis Figo all having featured in past editions.

Sixteen teams will battle for continental glory in the Slavic nation this summer, and we are here to introduce you to the contenders and their standout stars.

Slovakia

Slovakia enters the fray as the host nation. This will be their third appearance in the tournament, following a fourth-place finish in 2000 and in 2017, where they narrowly missed out on the semi-finals. They will be playing France, Spain and Romania in the opening group.

Featured Player: Nino Marcelli

Nino Marcelli has attracted significant interest from top European clubs, including Serie A giants AC Milan. The dynamic winger currently plies his trade at SK Slovan Bratislava, where he delivered an impressive 15 assists in 37 appearances during the 2023/24 season—despite starting just 23 of those matches.

Spain

Spain has been a hotbed of young talents in recent years. The likes of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams might not feature in Slovakia since they have become Spain national team regulars. Regardless, the five-time champions boast one of the strongest squads in the tournament.

Featured Player: Fermin Lopez

Fermin Lopez hails from the famed La Masia academy, which has produced a wealth of world-class talent, including the legendary Lionel Messi. He is a midfielder and has worked his way into Barcelona’s first team, scoring six goals and five assists this past season.

Italy

Italy crashed out of the group stages last time around, but they are one of the most successful teams in the history of the competition. Gli Azzurri enjoyed an impressive qualifying campaign, winning six of their 10 matches. As they chase a record sixth U-21 EURO title, they will be brimming with confidence.

Featured Player: Francesco Pio Esposito

Francesco Pio Esposito spearheaded Italy’s qualification run with six goals. The Inter Milan loanee made his U-21 debut last year after winning the European U-19 championship and finishing runner-up in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Romania

It took Romania 21 years to secure their second U-21 EURO appearance after first featuring in the tournament in 1998. They have become a regular in recent years, set to compete in their fourth consecutive tournament.

Featured Player: Constantin Grameni

Constantin Grameni is a defensive playmaker who can be compared with the likes of Pedri González and Ezequiel Fernández. The Rapid București midfielder operates deep in midfield and can spray out precise passes to dictate the tempo of the game.

Czechia

Czechia are here after knocking out Belgium in the playoffs. The 2002 champions will look to improve on their disappointing 2023 campaign, where they bowed out in the group stage. They will be taking on England, Germany, and Slovenia in Group B.

Featured Player: Adam Karabec

Adam Karabec is the third youngest scorer in the history of the Czech top flight. The attacking midfielder played with the 2.Bundesliga side Hamburger SV last season and made nine goal contributions in 25 appearances. His quick burst of speed makes him a threat on the right wing, but his exquisite range of passing could make him even more effective in a central role.

England

England comes to Slovakia as the defending champions. The Three Lions are expected to bring back several key players from their 2023 title-winning squad. Manager Lee Carsley has the luxury of calling upon players who are knocking on the door of the senior England squad.

Featured Player: Liam Delap

Although Ipswich Town has been relegated to the Championship, their forward Liam Delap will more likely continue plying his trade in the Premier League. After his breakout season, scoring 12 goals and two assists, Delap’s services are in demand. It is rumoured teams such as Everton, Manchester United and Chelsea have been interested. He will be a core asset in England’s attacking line.

Germany

Germany has won two of the last four U-21 EUROs and reached the final in three of those tournaments. Their streak came to an unceremonious end in 2023, however, as they failed to progress past the group stages. After enjoying a dominant run under Antonio Di Salvo in the qualifiers, they will be hoping to make a strong comeback this year.

Featured Player: Paul Nebel

Paul Nebel has been a key figure in Germany’s youth setup and appears to be in the best form of his career heading into the U-21 European Championship. He can play as a winger or a playmaker. As of writing, he has scored 10 goals and provided four assists for Mainz in the Bundesliga across 31 appearances.

Slovenia

Slovenia returns to the tournament four years after their group stage disappointment on home soil. Regardless of the outcome, this campaign is already one for the history books, as the Dragons have qualified on merit for the first time rather than as co-hosts. Slovenia topped Group F in the qualifiers ahead of France, making them a potential dark horse in the competition.

Featured Player: Tio Cipot

Tio Cipot has been a prolific goal scorer for Slovenia ever since he made his U-21 debut. He has found the back of the net eight times in 16 U-21 appearances for his country. Cipot was Slovenia’s top scorer in the qualifiers with six goals.

Portugal

Portugal will be aiming for their first-ever U-21 European Championship title, despite having already tasted European glory at the senior level. A Seleção share Group C with France, Poland, and Georgia.

Featured Player: Fábio Silva

Fábio Silva finished as the top scorer in the qualifying group stage and is just one goal away from matching the all-time U-21 EURO record of 15 goals (including qualifiers), a milestone shared by Lampros Choutos (Greece), Tomáš Pekhart (Czechia), and George Puşcaş (Romania).

France

France has also surprisingly underachieved in this competition. The Western European nation has produced some of the most exciting talents in the continent in recent years. However, they have won the U-21 EUROs only once, and it has been 37 years since they last lifted the title.

Featured Player: Hugo Ekitike

Hugo Ekitike has had an excellent season with Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 15 goals and eight assists. Ekitike is on the radar of clubs in the Premier League and Bundesliga. He certainly will aim to further raise his profile with a strong U-21 EURO campaign.

Poland

Poland looks for its next generation of stars as they near the end of the Robert Lewandowski era. The White-Reds are making their first U-21 EURO appearance since 2019 and will be aiming to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Featured Player: Kacper Kozłowski

Kacper Kozłowski has earned six senior caps, but he remains an important member of the Polish U-21 setup. Kozłowski thrives as a box-to-box midfielder but can also operate as a holding midfielder in a four-man midfield. The Gaziantep player has revived his career after a near career-ending accident in 2020 and will be looking to continue his fairytale journey with a standout campaign in Slovakia.

Georgia

Georgia enjoyed a remarkable debut campaign in the previous edition, reaching the quarter-finals. This time, they face a tough challenge in a group featuring Portugal, France, and Poland. However, they have already proven their ability to defy the odds, having advanced ahead of Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium last time around.

Featured Player: Vakhtang Salia

Vakhtang Salia will be moving to St.James Park after celebrating his 18th birthday this August. The young striker has incredible pace and has fantastic dribbling skills. Salia is a product of the Dinamo Tbilisi academy, which has also produced stars like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Anzor Mekvabishvili, and Giorgi Chakvetadze.

Finland

Mika Lehkosuo will bring his Finland team to Slovakia after a record-breaking qualifying campaign. They collected a record 20 points in the group stage, their highest-ever tally in a U-21 qualifying campaign. The Finns then overcame Austria in the play-offs to book their place in the finals. They will battle for one of the top two spots in Group D alongside the Netherlands, Denmark, and Ukraine.er.

Featured Player: Otso Liimatta

Otso Liimatta has caught the eye of scouts in European football with his immense technical quality. The versatile playmaker is equally comfortable on both feet and can excel in wider attacking roles. The Famalicão star has notched up eight goals and four assists in 19 appearances for the Finland U-21 team. So, he will be central to Finland’s plans in Slovakia this summer.

Netherlands

The Netherlands completed the qualifiers with a perfect record, a first in the tournament’s history. The two-time champions have managed to qualify for only three of the last eight U-21 EUROs. Michael Reiziger’s side will aim to make up for their recent struggles in the competition with a strong title challenge.

Featured Player: Noah Ohio

Noah Ohio has the option to choose Nigeria and England, but so far, he has mostly shown his loyalty to the Netherlands. He has been prolific for the young Oranje side, having scored seven goals in 10 matches for the Dutch U-21 team.

Ukraine

Ukraine did not top their group, but they still secured a spot in the finals without needing to play in the play-offs. Synʹo-zhovti reached the semi-finals last time around and will be aiming for another deep run in the tournament.

Featured Player: Nazar Voloshyn

Nazar Voloshyn has often been seen as a player with unfulfilled potential. The winger won the Golden Talent award in 2022 but has yet to reach the heights many anticipated. However, he found his form during the qualifiers, contributing significantly to Ukraine’s campaign. Now, the Shakhtar Donetsk star will be eager to end his U-21 journey on a high with a memorable performance in the tournament.

Denmark

Denmark missed out in the 2023 tournament, but they will be making their fifth UEFA U-21 European Championships appearance in the last six editions. The Scandinavian side have never gone past the semi-finals, but they will be hoping to make history after winning Group I in the qualifiers.

Featured Player: Mika Biereth

Mika Biereth has been a goal machine for Monaco. The former Arsenal youth player has scored 12 goals in 10 Ligue 1 outings for Monaco. He is certainly one to watch in the upcoming U-21 UEFA Euro 2025.