2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023) was the 24th edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship (27th edition if the Under-23 era is also included), the biennial international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men's under-21 national teams of Europe. A total of 16 teams played in the final tournament, and only players born on or after 1 January 2000 were eligible to participate.
| Campionatul European de Fotbal Sub-21 2023 (in Romanian) 21-წლამდე ნაკრებთა ევროპის ჩემპიონატი (in Georgian) | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host countries | Romania Georgia |
| Dates | 21 June – 8 July |
| Teams | 16 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue(s) | 8 (in 5 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | England (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Spain |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 72 (2.32 per match) |
| Attendance | 319,082 (10,293 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Sergio Gómez Abel Ruiz Heorhiy Sudakov (3 goals each) |
| Best player(s) | Anthony Gordon |
The tournament was co-hosted by Romania and Georgia. Romania hosted the opening match, while Georgia hosted the final. Romania already hosted the 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
As with previous Under-21 Championships held one year prior to the Olympic Games, this tournament served as European qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Besides France, which qualified automatically as Olympic hosts, eligible teams competed for qualifying (3 berths) for the men's football tournament of the 2024 Summer Olympics, where they will be represented by their under-23 national teams with a maximum of three overage players allowed.
Germany were the defending champion, but they were not able to defend their title after being eliminated in the group stage.
England won their third title by defeating Spain 1–0 in the final. They became the first team to win the UEFA European Under-21 Championship without conceding a single goal in the entire tournament.