2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship

The 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-19 Euro 2023) was the 20th edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship (70th edition if the Under-18 and Junior eras are included), the annual international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men's under-19 national teams of Europe. Malta hosted the tournament from 3 to 16 July 2023.[2] A total of eight teams played in the tournament, with players born on or after 1 January 2004 eligible to participate.

2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Kampjonat Ewropew 2023 ta' Taħt id-19-il sena
Tournament details
Host countryMalta
Dates3–16 July
Teams8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)4 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Italy (4th title)
Runners-up Portugal
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored49 (3.27 per match)
Attendance20,539 (1,369 per match)
Top scorer(s)Spain Víctor Barberà
(4 goals)
Best player(s)Italy Luis Hasa[1]
2022
2024

England were the defending champions.[3] They were not able to defend the title after failing to qualify for the competition. Italy were crowned champions for the fourth time after beating Portugal 1–0 in the final.[4]

Host selection

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Malta was appointed as the host for the tournament by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting on 19 April 2021 in Montreux, Switzerland.[5][6]

Qualification

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Qualified teams

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The following teams qualified for the final tournament.

Note: All appearance statistics include only U-19 era (since 2002).

Team Method of qualification Appearance Last appearance Previous best performance
  Malta Hosts 1st
Debut
  Norway Elite round Group 1 winners 6th 2019 (Group stage) Group stage (2002, 2003, 2005, 2018, 2019)
  Italy Elite round Group 2 winners 9th 2022 (Semi-finals) Champions (2003)
  Spain Elite round Group 3 winners 13th 2019 (Champions) Champions (2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019)
  Portugal Elite round Group 4 winners 12th 2019 (Runners-up) Champions (2018)
  Greece Elite round Group 5 winners 7th 2015 (Semi-finals) Runners-up (2007, 2012)
  Poland Elite round Group 6 winners 3rd 2006 (Group stage) Group stage (2004, 2006)
  Iceland Elite round Group 7 winners 1st
Debut

Venues

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Ta'Qali Paola
National Stadium Centenary Stadium Tony Bezzina Stadium
Capacity: 16,997 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 2,968
     
Xewkija
(Gozo)
Gozo Stadium
Capacity: 1,644
 

Draw

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The final draw was held on 19 April 2023, 13:00 CEST at Manoel Theatre, Valletta.[7]

Squads

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Group stage

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Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Portugal 3 3 0 0 9 2 +7 9 Knockout stage
2   Italy 3 1 1 1 6 6 0 4
3   Poland 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
4   Malta 3 0 0 3 1 8 −7 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Poland  0–2  Portugal
Report
Attendance: 772
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania)
Malta  0–4  Italy
Report
Attendance: 3,427
Referee: Yigal Frid (Israel)

Portugal  5–1  Italy
Report
Attendance: 1,328
Malta  0–2  Poland
Report
Attendance: 1,618
Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina)

Portugal  2–1  Malta
Report
Attendance: 894
Referee: Joonas Jaanovits (Estonia)
Italy  1–1  Poland
Report
Attendance: 1,053
Referee: Gergo Bogár (Hungary)

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Spain 3 2 1 0 7 1 +6 7 Knockout stage
2   Norway 3 1 2 0 6 5 +1 5
3   Iceland 3 0 2 1 2 3 −1 2
4   Greece 3 0 1 2 4 10 −6 1
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Norway  5–4  Greece
Report
Iceland  1–2  Spain
Report

Greece  0–5  Spain
Report
Attendance: 479
Referee: Yigal Frid (Israel)
Iceland  1–1  Norway
Report

Greece  0–0  Iceland
Report
Spain  0–0  Norway
Report
Attendance: 704
Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina)

Knockout stage

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Bracket

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
13 July – Paola
 
 
  Portugal5
 
16 July – Ta' Qali
 
  Norway0
 
  Portugal0
 
13 July – Ta' Qali
 
  Italy1
 
  Spain2
 
 
  Italy3
 

Semi-finals

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Portugal  5–0  Norway
Report
Attendance: 709
Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina)

Spain  2–3  Italy
Report
Attendance: 1,712
Referee: Yigal Frid (Israel)

Final

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Portugal  0–1  Italy
Report Kayode   19'

Goalscorers

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There were 49 goals scored in 15 matches, for an average of 3.27 goals per match.

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Source: UEFA

Team of the Tournament

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Portugal and Italy teams right before the beginning of the final match of the tournament.

The UEFA Technical Observer team announced the team of the tournament.[9]

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
  Gonçalo Ribeiro

References

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  1. ^ "2023: Luis Hasa". UEFA.com. 20 July 2023.
  2. ^ "2023 U19 EURO finals in Malta: Tournament information". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  3. ^ "2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Final". UEFA. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Portugal 0-1 Italy: Kayode heads resilient Azzurrini to second Under-19 title". UEFA. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Decision on remaining EURO 2020 venues to be made on 23 April". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Malta, Northern Ireland and Romania to stage U19 EURO in 2023, 2024, 2025". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  7. ^ "2023 U19 EURO finals draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Portugal U19 0-1 Italy U19 (Jul 16, 2023) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  9. ^ "2023 Under-19 EURO Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
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  NODES
Association 4
INTERN 1
Note 2