The European U21 Championships are around the corner, and England are one of the favourites to win the entire thing again. But can the reigning Champions claim the title once again? We think they’re in with a good shout.
Euro U21 Outright Odds
It’s close. Most bookies are pricing the top 3 at 4/1, but we’ve looked around to get you the best UEFA Euro U21 odds, and you could get even more value for an England win.
| Team | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Spain U21 | 4/1 | bet365 |
| Germany U21 | 4/1 | bet365 |
| England U21 | 9/2 | bet365 |
| France U21 | 5/1 | BetVictor |
| Netherlands U21 | 7/1 | Spreadex |
| Italy U21 | 8/1 | BetVictor |
| Portugal U21 | 10/1 | bet365 |
| Denmark U21 | 25/1 | bet365 |
It’s an unsurprising bunch at the top of the pack. In the qualification stage, Spain, Germany, and Italy all topped their group without a loss, and the Netherlands won all ten games. England just lost the one match, and France came second by one point to Slovenia.
Germany are an exciting side, and they haven't lost a match since June 2023. That's 12 wins and 3 draws. They will probably be England's biggest hurdle.
Spain are excellent too, but they haven't impressed in the build-up to the competition, with 1 draw and 2 losses in 2025. One of those losses was to Gemrnay, so that could be a pretty strong indication of both teams' strength.
England have been a bit inconstant lately, with 4 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in their last 8 games. They lost 5-3 to France, but it was just a friendly. England should have a relatively easy route to the final and a brilliant squad, so we back them to defend their title.
England’s Road to the Final
England are in a bit of a tricky group. They’re facing Germany, Czechia and Slovenia. The Young Lions should dispatch of the latter two, but Germany will be a test for the team. It’ll be the last group game, and will likely decide the top two of the group as well.
The odds for England to qualify past the group stage are 1/4 with bet365. It’s quite low, so we’d suggest an acca with a few other teams to qualify. France, Spain and the Netherlands are good choices.
If England top their group, they’ll face the Group A runner-up. Most likely Italy. Their half of the bracket will likely also see Portugal and the Netherlands. If results go as expected, England should have an easy route to the final.
England’s odds to reach the final with bet365 are 9/4. Pretty good odds, and if they can avoid France, Germany and Spain, they’ll be in with an excellent chance.
England Euro U21 Players to Watch
The England team is a talent factory, and three of the top eight predicted Golden Boot winners are English; all three are priced at 15/1 with bet365. Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), James McAtee (Man City), and Jay Stansfield (Birmingham).
Jay Stansfield is already a nailed-on starter at Birmingham, scoring 19 goals in 37 games. He is their top scorer and the League's second top scorer, as he helped Birmingham to win League One with 111 points.
Ethan Nwaneri is young enough to be eligible for the next three U21 Euros, and he’s already turning heads at Arsenal. Nwaneri could link up brilliantly with Stanfield in a front three.
There are 2 players in the squad who were part of the 2023 England squad, which won the U21 Euros. These are Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse) and Harvey Elliott (Liverpool). They’ll both be worth keeping an eye on. Especially Elliott, who’s scored 9 goals in 22 games for England U21.