The path to the 2026 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship is now set with the completion of the first-round qualifying draw [[1]]. Featuring 53 national teams, the qualifying process – beginning in September 2024 – will determine which squads advance toward the tournament hosted by Northern Ireland [[3]]. This competition not onyl serves as a vital proving ground for Europe’s rising female football stars but also offers a glimpse into the future of the women’s game.
UEFA U-17 Women’s Championship 2025/26: First Round Draw Revealed
The draw for the first round of the UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championship 2025/26 has been completed, setting the stage for the qualifying phase of the tournament. This competition serves as a crucial development platform for emerging young talent in European women’s soccer, and the upcoming matches will highlight the next generation of stars.
A total of 53 national teams will participate in the qualifying round, which begins in September 2024. Teams have been divided into 13 groups, with the composition as follows:
- Group 1: Belgium, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia
- Group 2: Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Luxembourg
- Group 3: Denmark, Armenia, Faroe Islands, Malta
- Group 4: Finland, Azerbaijan, Moldova, San Marino
- Group 5: France, Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey
- Group 6: Germany, Andorra, Estonia, Montenegro
- Group 7: Iceland, Belarus, Cyprus, Liechtenstein
- Group 8: Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Switzerland
- Group 9: Netherlands, Bulgaria, Gibraltar, Poland
- Group 10: Norway, Croatia, Israel, Slovenia
- Group 11: Portugal, Hungary, Northern Ireland, Serbia
- Group 12: Republic of Ireland, Albania, Kazakhstan, Ukraine
- Group 13: Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden
Matches will be played on a round-robin basis, with each team playing the others in their group once. Group winners and the best runners-up will advance to the second qualifying round. The competition will continue through the spring of 2025, culminating in the final tournament in May 2026.
The draw determines the initial pathways for teams vying for a spot in the final tournament, and the upcoming matches promise exciting competition as nations battle for qualification. The results of these early rounds will significantly shape the landscape of the U-17 Women’s Championship.
The second qualifying round draw will take place on December 5, 2024, in Nyon, Switzerland.
