# UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship
The UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship is an annual European championship for national women's football teams of players born on or after 1 January 2009 and aged 15 by the end of the calendar year of the match (2026 regulations), run by UEFA since the 2007/08 season[16](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a4-207d22f93b32-c3c83648f65a-1000/wu17_programme_2026_1_.pdf). It consists of two qualifying rounds played in one-venue mini-tournaments and an eight-team final tournament, and it doubles as Europe's qualification route to the [FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-u-17-womens-world-cup).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Approved by the UEFA Executive Committee on 22 May 2006; first edition in 2007/08 with 40 nations registered[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/) |
| Format | Two qualifying rounds plus an eight-team final tournament; elite round of 28 teams in seven groups of four[2](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/competitionformat/) |
| Eligibility | Players born on or after 1 January 2009 and aged 15 by the end of the calendar year of the match (2026 regulations)[3](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-European-Women-s-Under-17-Championship-2026/27/Article-38-Player-eligibility-Online) • [16](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a4-207d22f93b32-c3c83648f65a-1000/wu17_programme_2026_1_.pdf) |
| Most titles | Germany 9, Spain 5, France 1, Netherlands 1, Poland 1[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/) |
| World Cup role | From 2025 Europe has five berths at the now-annual FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: the four semi-finalists plus a play-off winner[5](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction) |
| Participation | 50 of UEFA's 55 member associations entered the 2025 qualification process[5](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction) |
| Record attendance | 10,219 for Czechia vs France in Pilsen, 2016/17[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/) |
| Latest edition | Germany beat France 1-0 in Belfast on 17 May 2026 for a record ninth title[6](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/02a3-203ead7bc484-0af09122532d-1000--women-s-under-17-euro-final-tournament-all-the-results/) |
## History
UEFA approved the competition in May 2006, with the decision to begin the annual competition following the inauguration of the biennial FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup from 2008[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/). Interest exceeded expectations: 40 nations registered a team for the first edition, with the qualifying draw held on 19 February 2007. The inaugural finals were a four-team event staged entirely at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon, Switzerland, opposite UEFA's headquarters, and Germany won them, beating France 3-0 in the final ahead of Denmark and England[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/). That win completed a grand slam of senior, Under-19 and Under-17 female European titles for Germany within days; Dzsenifer Marozsán scored the opening goal of the final and [Alexandra Popp](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandra-popp) was the joint top scorer across all of qualifying with ten goals[7](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cddd00364db-f347ac9e7a16-1000--germany-first-to-glory/).
**Expansion and interruption.** From 2013/14 the finals grew from four teams to eight, with different hosts each year, and Germany won the first eight-team finals in England[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/). The 2019/20 edition was abandoned and the 2020/21 season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the competition returned in 2021/22 with a new two-league qualifying format designed to give every entered team competitive matches in both autumn and spring[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/).
The roll of honor since the restart shows Germany winning a record eighth title at the 2022 final in [Bosnia and Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/bosnia-and-herzegovina), their fourth penalty shoot-out final defeat of Spain; France winning for the first time at Estonia 2023, beating Spain 3-2; Spain taking a fifth crown in Sweden in 2024; the Netherlands beating Norway 2-1 in the [Faroe Islands](https://www.edgepedia.org/faroe-islands) in 2025; and Germany reclaiming the title in [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland) in 2026 after a three-year absence[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/) • [8](https://rsssf.org/tablese/eur-women-u17.html).
## Format, qualification and eligibility
The competition runs in three stages[2](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/competitionformat/):
1. **Qualifying round.** Groups of four play one-venue mini-tournaments. Nations with the highest coefficients may receive byes straight to the second qualifying round. Winners, runners-up and the best third-placed teams advance.
2. **Elite round.** 28 teams are drawn into seven groups of four, again played as one-venue mini-tournaments. The seven group winners join the hosts at the finals.
3. **Final tournament.** Eight teams in two groups of four, with the top two in each group advancing to the semi-finals.
Since 2021/22 the qualifying stages have used a two-league system, and the format now links to the Under-19 Championship through promotion and relegation between leagues, with round 1 rankings seeding the next edition's draw[9](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/028d-1b00d063e3df-e0a240af1b84-1000/20240529_circular_2024_27_en.pdf). In 2025 and 2026, Europe's five berths at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup went to the four semi-finalists plus the winner of a play-off between the two third-placed group teams[5](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction).
**Eligibility.** Under the 2026 regulations, players must have been born on or after 1 January 2010 and be 15 years of age by the end of the calendar year in which the match is played[3](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-European-Women-s-Under-17-Championship-2026/27/Article-38-Player-eligibility-Online). Each player must hold a valid passport or identity card of the country she represents, containing a photograph and full date of birth, which referees or the UEFA match delegate may inspect[3](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-European-Women-s-Under-17-Championship-2026/27/Article-38-Player-eligibility-Online). Associations must select players who hold the nationality of their country and comply with Articles 6 to 10 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes, and all players must undergo a medical examination under the UEFA Medical Regulations[3](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-European-Women-s-Under-17-Championship-2026/27/Article-38-Player-eligibility-Online).
## Relation to the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
The tournament was created alongside the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and has served as its European qualifier whenever the two fall in the same year; since the World Cup became an annual event in 2025, the link is permanent[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/). Europe's allocation has grown with the World Cup itself. The first edition supplied four teams to the inaugural 2008 World Cup in New Zealand[7](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cddd00364db-f347ac9e7a16-1000--germany-first-to-glory/); three European spots were at stake at the 2024 finals in Sweden for the World Cup in the [Dominican Republic](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominican-republic)[10](https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/12/womens-football-under-17-euros-in-sweden); and from 2025 UEFA received five berths at the World Cup hosted by Morocco, with the four semi-finalists qualifying automatically and the fifth place decided by a play-off between the two third-placed group teams[5](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction). In the 2026 finals the same structure applied, with Poland taking the play-off berth and then beating England to book the fifth European place at the World Cup in Morocco, scheduled for 17 October to 7 November[6](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/02a3-203ead7bc484-0af09122532d-1000--women-s-under-17-euro-final-tournament-all-the-results/).
## By the numbers
Germany is the competition's most successful nation with nine titles, followed by Spain on five and one apiece for France, the Netherlands and Poland[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/). Final appearances tell a similar story of concentration at the top: Spain have reached 11 finals and Germany 10, against 5 for France[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/). Of 17 final tournaments through 2026, Spain have appeared in 15, Germany in 14, France in 12, England in 10 and Norway in 8[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/).
In the all-time qualifying-phase table compiled to 2023, Spain lead ahead of Germany, with France third[8](https://rsssf.org/tablese/eur-women-u17.html). Scoring records: Nikita Tromp of the Netherlands tops the combined list including qualifying with 27 goals, ahead of [Vivianne Miedema](https://www.edgepedia.org/vivianne-miedema) and Clàudia Pina on 20; Shekiera Martinez of Germany and Rachael Adedini of France share the final-tournament record on 9[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/). Season records include Alba Cerrato's 17 goals in 2023/24 and Tromp's 18 in 2018/19[11](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a5-2084e229c0d1-3363a9a2979d-1000/2026_wu17_tournament_final.pdf). The biggest final-tournament win was Belarus 0-12 England in the 2015/16 group stage, and the biggest qualifying win Georgia 0-27 Italy in 2009/10[11](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a5-2084e229c0d1-3363a9a2979d-1000/2026_wu17_tournament_final.pdf). The final-tournament attendance record of 10,219 was set by Czechia vs France in Pilsen in 2016/17, and the qualifying record is 3,100 for Spain vs Slovakia in Brezno in 2012/13[4](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/).
## Comparison with the Under-19 Championship and the wider pathway
The Women's Under-17 Championship has two qualifying rounds and an eight-team final round[12](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0252-0ce01b8a1432-79cd388284eb-1000--elite-youth-development/). The Women's Under-19 Championship began in 1997/98, roughly a decade before the Under-17 equivalent[12](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0252-0ce01b8a1432-79cd388284eb-1000--elite-youth-development/). The calendars diverge at the end stage: in 2025 the Under-17 finals were held from 4 to 17 May in the Faroe Islands, while the Under-19 finals ran from 15 to 27 June in Poland[9](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/028d-1b00d063e3df-e0a240af1b84-1000/20240529_circular_2024_27_en.pdf). Since 2024/25 the two levels are also connected competitively, through the promotion and relegation between leagues built into the new Under-17 format[9](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/028d-1b00d063e3df-e0a240af1b84-1000/20240529_circular_2024_27_en.pdf). Research on the pathway suggests the Under-19 level is the more predictive step: in an Italian cohort, 41.9% of players moved from Under-17 to Under-19 squads, while only 1.5% went directly from Under-17 to the senior national team[13](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10159103/).
## Notable players and the youth-to-senior transition
The tournament's alumni list includes players who became central figures at senior level: [Aitana Bonmatí](https://www.edgepedia.org/aitana-bonmati) and [Leah Williamson](https://www.edgepedia.org/leah-williamson) honed their skills in this competition, while [Lena Oberdorf](https://www.edgepedia.org/lena-oberdorf) and Vicky López, both winners of the player-of-the-tournament award, went on to excel with their senior national teams[10](https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/12/womens-football-under-17-euros-in-sweden). The inaugural edition already pointed the way, with Marozsán and Popp among its leading figures[7](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cddd00364db-f347ac9e7a16-1000--germany-first-to-glory/). At the 2024 finals, Cerrato and Segura scored 12 goals between them over five games, with Cerrato named player of the tournament and finishing as finals top scorer on seven goals[10](https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/12/womens-football-under-17-euros-in-sweden) • [14](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/028d-1aeba3510c90-d0514c721cfa-1000--england-0-4-spain-la-roja-land-fifth-title-with-emphatic-w/).
**How predictive is selection?** Peer-reviewed research on an Italian national youth setup gives quantitative context. The youth-to-senior transition rate was 17.7% for Under-17 players and 30.7% for Under-19 players, and overall only 17.4% of youth-selected players reached the senior national team, whereas 31.2% reached the high-senior level without ever being selected for a youth age group[13](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10159103/). The same study found a relative-age effect: youth squads skewed heavily toward players born early in the selection year (average first-quarter share 35.6% against 18.5% for the fourth quarter), first-quarter players were twice as likely to be selected, yet fourth-quarter players recorded a higher youth-to-senior conversion rate, 25.0% against 16.4%[13](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10159103/).
## What has changed since 2023
The period from 2023 to 2026 brought several structural and competitive shifts:
- **France's first title** at Estonia 2023, a 3-2 final win over Spain[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/).
- **Spain's 2024 sweep.** Spain's 4-0 final win over England in Malmö was their fifth crown in a record 11th final, and they became the first team to win all five games in a final tournament in regulation time since the group stage was introduced in 2013/14[14](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/028d-1aeba3510c90-d0514c721cfa-1000--england-0-4-spain-la-roja-land-fifth-title-with-emphatic-w/). With that title Spain held all four youth world and European women's titles simultaneously, the WU17 EURO, the U-17 World Cup, the WU19 EURO and the U-20 World Cup, the first team to do so[14](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/028d-1aeba3510c90-d0514c721cfa-1000--england-0-4-spain-la-roja-land-fifth-title-with-emphatic-w/).
- **World Cup expansion.** The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup became an annual event in 2025 and Europe's allocation rose to five berths, decided through the semi-finals and a third-place play-off[1](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/) • [5](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction).
- **New names and venues.** The 2025 finals in the Faroe Islands were the nation's debut at this level and produced the Netherlands' first title, 2-1 against Norway, who were contesting their first final[15](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0299-1dc7c37a1bea-fce4116b444a-1000--netherlands-2-1-norway-first-half-goals-seal-dutch-women-/). The 2026 finals went to Northern Ireland for the first time, from 4 to 17 May, with the semi-finals in Belfast and the final at [Windsor Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/windsor-park)[11](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a5-2084e229c0d1-3363a9a2979d-1000/2026_wu17_tournament_final.pdf).
- **Widening competition.** The 2025 edition drew 50 of UEFA's 55 member associations into qualifying[5](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction), and recent finals have featured Norway contesting their first final in 2025 and a Polish side that reached the 2026 World Cup through the play-off route[15](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0299-1dc7c37a1bea-fce4116b444a-1000--netherlands-2-1-norway-first-half-goals-seal-dutch-women-/) • [6](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/02a3-203ead7bc484-0af09122532d-1000--women-s-under-17-euro-final-tournament-all-the-results/).
## References
1. [The story of the Women's U17 EURO, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0ce01b89eefb-1b9e39edbe96-1000--the-story-of-the-women-s-u17-euro/)
2. [Format & regulations, UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/competitionformat/)
3. [Article 38 Player eligibility, Regulations of the UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship 2026, UEFA](https://documents.uefa.com/r/Regulations-of-the-UEFA-European-Women-s-Under-17-Championship-2026/27/Article-38-Player-eligibility-Online)
4. [Women's U17 facts and figures, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cda34060312-883600b00c36-1000--women-s-u17-facts-and-figures/)
5. [2025 UEFA European Women's U17 Championship Technical Report, Introduction](https://www.uefatechnicalreports.com/programme/wu17-2025/introduction)
6. [Women's Under-17 EURO final tournament: All the results, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/02a3-203ead7bc484-0af09122532d-1000--women-s-under-17-euro-final-tournament-all-the-results/)
7. [Germany first to gain glory, Women's Under-17 2008, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0252-0cddd00364db-f347ac9e7a16-1000--germany-first-to-glory/)
8. [European Women's U-17 Championship, RSSSF](https://rsssf.org/tablese/eur-women-u17.html)
9. [UEFA Circular 2024/27, 2024/25 Women's Under-17 and Under-19 championship calendar and regulations](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/028d-1b00d063e3df-e0a240af1b84-1000/20240529_circular_2024_27_en.pdf)
10. [What we learned from the Women's Under-17 Euros in Sweden, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/12/womens-football-under-17-euros-in-sweden)
11. [2026 Women's Under-17 EURO tournament guide, UEFA](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a5-2084e229c0d1-3363a9a2979d-1000/2026_wu17_tournament_final.pdf)
12. [Elite youth development, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0252-0ce01b8a1432-79cd388284eb-1000--elite-youth-development/)
13. [Youth-to-senior transition in women's and girls' football, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10159103/)
14. [England 0-4 Spain: La Roja land fifth title, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/028d-1aeba3510c90-d0514c721cfa-1000--england-0-4-spain-la-roja-land-fifth-title-with-emphatic-w/)
15. [Netherlands 2-1 Norway: First-half goals seal Dutch Women's U17 EURO final win, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/news/0299-1dc7c37a1bea-fce4116b444a-1000--netherlands-2-1-norway-first-half-goals-seal-dutch-women-/)
16. [Wu17 Programme 2026 1 .pdf, editorial.uefa.com](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/02a4-207d22f93b32-c3c83648f65a-1000/wu17_programme_2026_1_.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › UEFA competitions › UEFA youth and futsal competitions › UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license