The U21 Euro 2025 in Slovakia is in full swing as the quarter-finals draw near. In Saturday's main match, England eliminated Spain 3-1 in Trnava. James McAtee opened the scoring in the 10th minute, while Harvey Elliott doubled the lead in the 15th, capitalising on the passing in the box and the fatigue of the opposition defence. Although Spain had scored through Javier Guerra's penalty before half-time, Elliot Anderson sealed the victory for England in extra time, after another penalty was won in the 94th minute.
Despite the victory, the match was marred by a massive brawl after the game, with players involved in physical altercations. Defender Charlie Cresswell and former players such as Mateo Joseph were involved in the altercation, while Rafa Marín was sent off for a tackle on the pitch, an episode that has raised concerns about team discipline in the weeks since.
Netherlands secure semi-final spot
Meanwhile, the Netherlands secured their place in the semi-finals of the Euro U21 with a 1-0 win over Portugal in Žilina, thanks to a decisive goal from Ernest Poku in the 84th minute, despite a reduced number of players on the pitch after Ruben van Bommel received a second yellow card. The two results set the semi-final clash on 25 June: England face the Netherlands in Bratislava, while the winner of the Germany-Italy duel will face the winner of the Denmark-France match in Kosovo or Bratislava, according to UEFA.
The U21 Euros have been impressive so far, with Germany unbeaten in the group stage and talents like Nick Woltemade showing great form and impressive performances. Denmark have been pushing hard thanks to William Osula, while France and Italy will be looking to show their mettle in Sunday's quarter-finals against Denmark and Germany respectively.
The grand final of the Euro U21 will take place on June 28. The approaching semi-finals will fuel rivalry and tension, and young talents will prove themselves on the highest European stage for their age group.
Some interesting facts about the Euro U21
One of the most unique rules of the European Under-21 Championship is that players up to the age of 23 can participate, as the registration criteria are set to allow young players to go through the entire qualifying cycle, from the qualifiers to the final matches. For the 2025 edition, this right is granted to players born on or after 1 January 2002, which means they were 21 or younger at the start of the year in which the qualifiers began.
In total, 16 national teams are participating in this tournament, each with a squad of 23 players, so 368 players in total. Of these, 205 were 22 or 23 years old when the championship began, which makes up 55,7% of the total, while 73 of them, 19,8%, are exactly 23 years old. Defending champions England are the only team without any 23-year-olds yet registered for the tournament, because Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney turns 23 just two days before the final, on 26 June.
The English team has several players over 21 in the official squad, including Manchester City captain James McAtee, Liverpool's Harvey Elliott and Newcastle defender Tino Livramento, the only one of Lee Carsley's team to have made it to the senior national team. All 16 teams have at least nine players aged 22 or 23, while Georgia's squad is led by 19 players of that age, the highest number in the tournament.
On the other hand, the oldest player in this tournament is Stoke City's Millen Manhoef, part of the Netherlands team, born on January 3, 2002. The cut-off date rule, which allows a maximum of 23 years and six months, is a long-standing UEFA practice, ensuring a balance between experience and the freshness of young talent.
