Malta was drawn with Spain, Russia, Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Lithuania in Group C of the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship which was held on Thursday.

The Malta Under-21 team, now led by Gilbert Agius, will therefore meet two of this year’s finalists – Spain and Russia.

The groups will be played between March 2021 and June 2022.

The nine group winners and the best runner-up (not counting results against sixth-placed teams) will qualify directly for the final tournament. 

The other eight runners-up will play off for the remaining four finals berths in September 2022.

2021-23 Under-21 EURO qualifying draw

Group A: Croatia*, Austria, Norway, Finland, Azerbaijan, Estonia

Group B: Germany*, Poland, Israel, Hungary*, Latvia, San Marino

Group C: Spain*, Russia*, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Lithuania, Malta

Group D: Portugal*, Greece, Iceland*, Belarus, Cyprus, Liechtenstein

Group E: Netherlands*, Switzerland*, Bulgaria, Wales, Moldova, Gibraltar

Group F: Italy*, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Luxembourg

Group G: England*, Czech Republic*, Slovenia*, Albania, Kosovo, Andorra

Group H: France*, Serbia, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Faroe Islands, Armenia

Group I: Denmark*, Belgium, Turkey, Scotland, Kazakhstan