Women's U19 EURO: Meet the contenders

The UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship runs from 14 to 27 July, with the draw on 30 April.

The teams will be competing in two groups of four; the top two in each group will progress to the semi-finals on 24 July, with the decider to follow three days later.

We introduce the eight teams competing for the title. The draw was at Žalgirio Arena, Kaunas on Tuesday 30 April.

Match dates

Group stage: 15, 18 and 21 July
Semi-finals: 24 July
Final: 27 July

Stadiums

Darius and Girenas Stadium, Kaunas
Jonava Stadium, Jonava
Marijampolé Stadium, Marijampolé

Group A contenders

Lithuania (hosts)

Round 1: Group B1 fourth place (played in Switzerland)
L1-2 vs Albania, L0-17 vs Switzerland, L2-3 vs Cyprus
Round 2: Group B1 third place (played in Moldova) – qualified as finals hosts
L0-2 vs Wales, L0-2 vs North Macedonia, W2-0 vs Moldova
Top scorers: Meida Proscevičiūtė 2
2022/23: Did not qualify
Previous best: First final tournament

• Lithuania previously took part in the 2018 WU17 EURO finals (also as hosts).

Serbia

Round 1: Group A7 winners (played in Albania)
W2-0 vs Belarus, W2-0 vs Scotland, W2-0 vs Iceland
Round 2: Group A5 winners (played in Serbia)
D2-2 vs Slovakia, W7-0 vs Belarus, W2-0 vs Belgium
Top scorer: Nina Matejić 7
2022/23: Did not qualify
Previous best: Group stage (2012)

• Qualified for the second time; in 2012 drew 0-0 with England in the group stage.

France

Round 1: Group A1 winners (played in France)
W4-0 vs Northern Ireland, W1-0 vs Hungary, W2-0 vs Italy
Round 2: Group A4 winners (played in Czechia)
W2-0 vs Ukraine, W1-0 vs Norway, W5-0 vs Czechia
Top scorer: Liana Joseph 4
2022/23: Semi-finals
Previous best: Winners x 5 (2003, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019)

• They won all six of their qualifiers without conceding a goal, just like Spain last year before going on to lift the trophy. Beat England in the finals of 2010 and 2013 (in all from seven final tournament meetings with England, have won four, drawn two and lost one).

England

Round 1: Group A2 winners (played in Wales)
W2-0 vs Greece, W6-1 vs Wales, W1-0 vs Czechia
Round 2: Group A3 winners (played in Portugal)
W2-0 vs Switzerland, W1-0 vs Portugal, W4-1 vs Italy
Top scorer: Poppy Pritchard 4
2022/23: Did not qualify
Previous best: Winners x 1 (2009)

• As well as winning in 2009 have been runners-up three times, but have not got past the group stage since last reaching the final in 2013.

Group B contenders

Netherlands

Round 1: Group A6 winners (played in Belgium)
W8-0 vs Faroe Islands, W3-1 vs Belgium, W4-0 vs Republic of Ireland
Round 2: Group A6 winners (played in Bosnia and Herzegovina)
W10-0 vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, W3-0 vs Poland, W2-1 vs Finland
Top scorer: Danique Tolhoek 13
2022/23: Semi-finals
Previous best: Winners x 1 (2014)

• The victorious 2014 squad (that beat Ireland 4-0 in the semis and Spain 1-0 in the final) included future Women's EURO 2017 champions Vivianne Miedema, Jill Roord and Dominique Janssen; reached their fifth semi-final last year, heaving beaten Germany 3-1 in the group stage but losing 1-0 to Spain in the last four.

Republic of Ireland

Round 1: Group A6 third place (played in Belgium)
L0-2 vs Belgium, W4-0 vs Faroe Islands, L0-4 vs Netherlands
Round 2: Group A2 winners (played in Croatia)
W4-1 vs Iceland, W1-0 vs Austria, W3-0 vs Croatia
Top scorer: Joy Ralph 3
2022/23: Did not qualify
Previous best: Semi-finals (2014)

• Have qualified for the second time; in 2014 beat Spain, England and Sweden in topping their group.

Spain (holders)

Round 1: Group A5 winners (played in Sweden)
W4-0 vs Türkiye, W3-0 vs Sweden, W9-1 vs Portugal
Round 2: Group A1 winners (played in Slovenia)
W5-0 vs Slovenia, W7-0 vs Greece, W2-0 vs Denmark
Top scorers: Jone Amezaga, Laia Martret 4
2022/23: Winners
Previous best: Winners x 5 (2004, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023)

• Have not only won the last two WU19 EURO titles (beating Germany on penalties last year) but also claimed the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2022, and will defend it later this year in Colombia; the generation born in 2005 won the 2022 U-17 Women's World Cup. Although they lost the 2014 final to the Netherlands, beat them in the 2016, 2017 and 2023 semis. In all have beaten Germany in three finals: 2004, 2018 and 2023. In all final tournament meetings with Germany (not counting shoot-outs) have won four, lost five and drawn two.

Germany

Round 1: Group A4 winners (played in Finland)
W7-1 vs Israel, W4-0 vs Norway, D1-1 vs Finland
Round 2: Group A7 winners (played in Hungary)
W2-0 vs Romania, W6-0 vs Hungary, W4-1 vs Sweden
Top scorers: Paulina Bartz, Melina Reuter 6
2022/23: Runners-up
Previous best: Winners x 6 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2011)

• The squad for their round 2 campaign included seven 2022 Women's U17 EURO winners (beating Spain on penalties), among them Bartz and Laura Gloning, who also were in the squad that made last year's WU19 final (losing on penalties to Spain). Qualified for a record 19th time; their six titles and 11 finals are also unmatched. Beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the 2019 semis. Beat Ireland 5-0 in round 2 last season.

Records include Women's U18 EURO (1997/98 to 2000/01)