UEFA Postpones Youth National Team Competitions

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)