The 2025 European Championship among youth national teams will feature 53 teams, one of which, Slovakia, as the host nation, already has a spot in the final tournament. Liechtenstein did not enter qualification, and Russia was barred from participating according to UEFA's Executive Committee decision.

Thus, 52 national teams will participate in the selection process. According to the UEFA ranking (performance in qualifying and final tournaments of Euro-2019, Euro-2021, and qualification for Euro-2023), the teams were divided into six pots. Ukraine ended up in the second pot.

Composition of Pots for the 2025 European Championship Qualification (U-21)

Pot 1: Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Netherlands, England, Denmark, Italy, Romania.

Pot 2: Croatia, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, Austria, Ireland.

Pot 3: Norway, Greece, Iceland, Slovenia, Israel, Finland, Georgia, Serbia, Scotland.

Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, North Macedonia, Wales, Belarus, Northern Ireland, Albania.

Pot 5: Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, Lithuania, Faroe Islands, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Latvia.

Pot 6: Malta, Armenia, Luxembourg, Andorra, Estonia, Gibraltar, San Marino.

During the draw procedure, 52 teams will be divided into nine groups. In seven of them there will be six national teams and in two — five.

In the final stage of Euro-2025 (U-21), 16 teams will participate: Slovakia, plus 15 others that join it based on qualification results (nine group winners, three best-placed second-place finishers and three playoff winners, in which six second-place finishers will compete).

Match windows for the group stage of the qualification

2023:

• March 20–28;
• June 12–20;
• September 4–12;
• October 9–17;
• November 13–21.

2024:

• March 18–26;
• September 2–10;
• October 7–15.

Playoff: November 11–19, 2024.

It should be noted that during the draw, Ukraine and Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Gibraltar and Spain, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia will be placed in different groups.