UEFA U17 European Championship

The UEFA European Under-17 Championship, known as the Euro U17, is an annual continental football tournament for under-17 men’s national teams from UEFA member associations. Run by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), this competition was established in 1980 as an under-16 event before increasing its age category by a year from 2002 onward.

Held in May, the UEFA European Under-17 Championship currently features eight teams, following previous expansions to 16 sides in two separate intervals (1985-2002 and 2015-2024) before reverting to eight. Teams qualify through a preliminary tournament, except for the hosts, who participate in the qualifiers but are awarded automatic qualification nonetheless.

Participants are divided into two groups of four, with each country playing every other side in their group in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, which uses a single-elimination format. The Euro U17 championships held in odd years serve as qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Previously, qualification was determined through the Euro U17 finals, with the four semifinalists and the play-off winner advancing. However, with the FIFA U-17 World Cup expanding from 24 to 48 teams in 2025, UEFA's allocation increased to 11 slots, which exceeds the number of UEFA European Under-17 Championship participants. As a result, the seven group winners from Round 2 of the qualifiers and the four best runners-up qualify for the World Cup from 2025 onwards.

Spain and Portugal have been two of the most dominant sides in this competition, with the latter being the first country to win back-to-back titles. Germany, the Netherlands, and France have also achieved notable success. Additionally, Euro U17 has been a springboard for many iconic players, including Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos, Thierry Henry, and Luis Figo, to name a few.