The UEFA European Under-21 Championship is a biennial football tournament that is competed by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. 

Since 1978, the UEFA European Under-21 Championship has been contested in its current form with Yugoslavia emerging as inaugural champions.

Before the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, there was an Under-23 Challenge Cup which was held from 1967 to 1970. 

Later in 1972, a UEFA European Under-23 Championship was started with Czechoslovakia winning the first edition. Hungary won the second edition in 1974 before the Soviet Union clinched it in 1976.

UEFA later reduced the age limit to 21 for the 1978 UEFA European Championship.

Also known as the UEFA Under-21 Championship or the Euro Under-21, the football competition has served as the UEFA qualification tournament for the Summer Olympics since 1992.

Spain and Italy are the most decorated teams in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship history, having won five titles each. 

Germany and England are next in terms of most UEFA European Under-21 Championship triumphs having done so three times, while the likes of Russia, and Netherlands have won it twice each.

England are also the defending champions of the Euro Under-21, having defeated Spain 1-0 in the 2023 final. Get UEFA European Under-21 Championship winners list.

UEFA European Under-21 Championship winners list

Year

Hosts

Winner

Runner-up

1978

Home-and-away basis

Yugoslavia

East Germany

1980

Home-and-away basis

Soviet Union

East Germany

1982

Home-and-away basis

England

West Germany

1984

Home-and-away basis

England

Spain

1986

Home-and-away basis

Spain

Italy

1988

Home-and-away basis

France

Greece

1990

Home-and-away basis

Soviet Union

Yugoslavia

1992

Home-and-away basis

Italy

Sweden

1994

France

Italy

Portugal

1996

Spain

Italy

Spain

1998

Romania

Spain

Greece

2000

Slovakia 

Italy

Czech Republic

2002

Switzerland

Czech Republic

France

2004

Germany

Italy

Serbia and Montenegro

2006

Portugal

Netherlands

Ukraine

2007

Netherlands

Netherlands

Serbia

2009

Sweden

Germany

England

2011

Denmark

Spain

Switzerland

2013

Israel

Spain

Italy

2015

Czech Republic

Sweden

Portugal

2017

Portugal

Germany

Spain

2019

Italy

Spain

Germany

2021

Hungary and Slovenia

Germany

Portugal

2023

Romania and Georgia

England

Spain

Photo credit: Alamy