After consultation with UEFA’s 55 member associations, the UEFA Executive Committee has taken several decisions regarding youth national team competitions considering the current COVID-19 situation across Europe.
In order to alleviate the additional operational and financial burden on national associations – caused by hygiene conditions impacting travel and accommodation, as well as testing to safeguard the health of athletes and minimize any potential risk of spreading the infection – the following decisions were made regarding UEFA youth national team competitions:
2019/20 competitions
Women’s Under-17:
- Cancellation of the elite round and the final tournament
- If the FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup is confirmed, the three European teams with the highest coefficient ranking will qualify (England, Germany and Spain, in alphabetical order)
Men’s Under-19:
- Elite round to be played in October 2020
- Final tournament in Northern Ireland
2020/21 competitions
The UEFA Executive Committee also decided to postpone the qualification matches for the 2020/21 youth championships until the Spring of 2021 and to reduce the number of such matches.
Women’s Under-17:
- Qualifying round to be played by end of February 2021 (12 mini-tournaments)
- Elite round abolished and replaced by Play-offs
- Play-offs (14 teams) to be played by end of March 2021
- Final tournament as scheduled (Faroe Islands, May 2021)
Men’s Under-17:
- Qualifying round to be played by end of March 2021 (13 mini-tournaments)
- Elite round abolished
- 13 group winners & 2 seeded teams qualify for final tournament to be played as scheduled (Cyprus, May 2021)
Women’s Under-19:
- Qualifying round to be played in February 2021 (12 mini-tournaments)
- Elite round abolished and replaced by Play-offs
- Play-offs (14 teams) to be played in April 2021
- Final tournament as scheduled (Belarus, July 2021)
Men’s Under-19:
- Qualifying round to be played in March 2021 (13 mini-tournaments)
- Elite round abolished and replaced by Play-offs
- Play-offs (14 teams) to be played by end of May 2021
- Final tournament as scheduled (Romania, July 2021)