The seven teams who will join hosts Northern Ireland at the 2024 UEFA European Men’s Under-19 Championship finals have now been confirmed.
The eight-team U19 Euros, featuring some of the best young footballers in Europe, will run in Belfast and Larne from 15 July until 28 July.
The teams who will be joining Gareth McAuley’s Northern Ireland U19 team in the tournament are: holders Italy, Spain, France, Denmark, Norway, Turkiye and Ukraine.
The seven nations booked their places at U19 Euro 2024 by topping their groups in the elite qualification round, which was staged over the past week.
Holders Italy progressed from a group that also featured Czechia, Georgia and Scotland, the only other home nation in the mix for the U19 Euros. And Spain won a group that also contained Slovenia, Kosovo and Austria.
Denmark had a 100% record - three wins from three - in a section with Portugal, Greece and Serbia, and France edged out runners-up Belgium as well as Netherlands and Lithuania in their section.
The only other team with a 100% record in the elite round were Ukraine. Switzerland came second in their group ahead of Latvia and North Macedonia.
Norway proved too strong for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Israel, while Turkiye pipped Romania in their group, which also featured Croatia and Germany.
Italy are the defending champions after beating Portugal last July in Malta to win their second U19 title since the switch to the current classification in 2001-02. Norway and Spain were beaten semi-finalists.
Denmark have qualified for the first time since the U18 Euros became the U19 Euros in 2001-02.
Other past winners to qualify are Spain (eight titles from a record 13 qualifications, now 14 including 2024), France (three) and Ukraine (one).
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship final tournament draw is due to be staged on Wednesday 17 April in Belfast (3pm). It will place hosts Northern Ireland and the seven elite round winners into two groups of four.
Group matches in the U19 Euros are scheduled to be played at Seaview Stadium in Belfast and Inver Park in Larne, while the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast will host the semi-finals and final.
Five of the teams competing at this summer’s tournament will go on to represent Europe at the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile (four semi-finalists plus the winner of a play-off game between the teams finishing fifth and sixth overall).
The Irish Football Association is hosting U19 Euro 2024 along with UEFA.
