Romania’s U19 national team is automatically qualified for EURO U19 2025, as the country has been given the honor of hosting the continental tournament from June 13-26.
Youth age categories have benefited from a high-level international tournament since 1948, originally known as the FIFA International Youth Tournament. UEFA took over the competition in 1956, and between 1980 and 2001, it was known as the European Under-18 Championship before being rebranded as EURO U19 in 2002.
With nearly the same eligibility criteria as today, EURO U19 2025, hosted by Romania, will mark the 22nd edition of the Under-19 European Championship in its current format.
The U19 European Championship is held annually, but the 2020 and 2021 editions, scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland and Romania, were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
20 Countries by 2027, but Romania Gets It Twice!
With the upcoming 2025 tournament, Romania joins a prestigious list of host nations, making it one of only two countries to have been awarded the tournament twice!
- Northern Ireland hosted EURO U19 in 2005 and 2024.
- Romania was selected by UEFA for the 2011 and 2025 editions.
All other host nations have welcomed the tournament only once. The full chronological list includes: Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Ukraine, France, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Georgia, Finland, and Armenia.
The 2026 and 2027 editions will be hosted by Wales and Israel, meaning Romania will continue to hold a unique status in European football history!