A new format for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship will begin from 2024/25, and will feed into a change of competition system for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2026/27.
Under-17 EURO format from 2024/25
Qualifying
Qualifying will consist of two stages, round 1 (in autumn) and round 2 (in spring). Both rounds will be played as single-venue mini-tournaments.
Round 1
All entered teams will participate in round 1, including the final tournament hosts (who currently do not take part in qualifying, and who will continue to have their place in the finals assured under the new format). The entrants will be drawn into 14 groups of four or three teams, depending on the number of participating associations.
Following round 1, 28 teams will qualify to take part in round 2 League A, with the remainder going into League B.
In future seasons, the results of round 1 will be taken into account for the round 1 draw for the following edition.
The draw for round 1 will be held in the December of the previous year (eg December 2023 for round 1 of the 2024/25 edition).
Round 2
In League A, the 28 teams will be drawn into seven groups of four. The seven group winners will qualify to join the hosts in the final tournament. If the hosts are among the seven group winners, the best runners-up will also qualify.
The seven teams ranked fourth in the League A groups will be relegated to League B for round 1 of U19 EURO qualifying for the same age cohort (so teams relegated from League A in 2024/25 U17 EURO round 2 will begin 2026/27 U19 EURO round 1 in League B).
In League B, the teams will be drawn into seven groups of four or three, depending on the number of competitors. The seven League B winners will be promoted to League A for round 1 of U19 EURO qualifying for the same age cohort (so teams promoted from League B in 2024/25 U17 EURO round 2 will begin 2026/27 U19 EURO round 1 in League A).
The draw for round 2 will be held in the December following round 1 (eg December 2024 for round 2 of the 2024/25 edition).
Final tournament
The final tournament will involve eight teams, initially competing in two groups of four, with the top two in each section progressing to the semi-finals.
The 2025 final tournament in Albania will count as the European qualifying competition for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Under-19 EURO format from 2026/27
Qualifying
Qualifying will be split into three rounds. For 2026/27, round 1 will be played in spring 2026, round 2 in autumn 2026 and round 3 in spring 2027, setting the pattern to be followed in future seasons. As now, the final tournament will consist of eight teams. The final tournament hosts will compete in qualifying, although their finals place will already be assured.
Round 1
Teams will be split into League A (28 nations) and League B (remaining entrants), the league determined by round 2 of qualifying for the relevant U17 EURO (for 2026/27 U19 EURO, the league will be set by round 2 of 2024/25 U17 EURO).
The teams in League A will be split into seven groups of four. The fourth-ranked teams will be relegated to League B for round 2.
The teams in League B will be split into seven groups of four or three, depending on the number of participants. The group winners will be promoted to League A for round 2.
The draw for round 1 will be held in the December of the previous year (eg December 2025 for round 1 of the 2026/27 edition).
Round 2
The teams in League A will be split into seven groups of four. The fourth-ranked teams will be eliminated.
The teams in League B will be split into seven groups of four or three, depending on the number of participants. The group winners will be promoted to League A for round 3, with the remaining teams eliminated.
The draw for round 2 will be held following the completion of round 1 (eg June/July 2026 for round 2 of the 2026/27 edition).
Round 3
The format will resemble the current elite round, with 28 teams drawn into seven groups of four. The seven group winners will qualify for the final tournament, joining the hosts.
The draw for round 3 will be held following the completion of round 2 (eg December 2026 for round 3 of the 2026/27 edition).
Final tournament
The final tournament will, as now, involve eight teams, initially competing in two groups of four, with the top two in each section progressing to the semi-finals.
In even-numbered years, the final tournament will continue to count as the European qualifying competition for the following year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup (eg the 2028 U19 EURO will lead to the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup).