Malta has been drawn with Poland, Portugal and Italy in Group B during the UEFA U19 Championship final draws that were held earlier on today at the iconic Manoel Theatre in Valletta. Meanwhile Group B contains Iceland, Greece, Norway and Spain.
Lance Kelly, Chief of Men’s Football & Deputy Director, UEFA, conducted the draws alongside Michael Mifsud and Joseph Mbong, the event’s ambassadors.
Speaking to those present, Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo remarked, “We Maltese have always been known for the good organization and friendly hospitality; this is another unique opportunity for us to shine.” He declared that the first-ever Malta FA Strategy, We Can Perform Better (2021–2024), includes hosting a competition of this kind. Additionally, the lads from Malta will get the chance to compete against the top 7 teams in Europe.
Lance Kelly recalled Malta’s outstanding hosting of the UEFA U17 Championship in 2014. In reference to the Manoel Theatre, he notably stated that he cannot recall a period when the draws were held in such a magnificent setting.
Finals draw
Group A: Malta (hosts), Portugal, Poland, Italy
Group B: Iceland, Greece, Norway, Spain
Malta and Iceland will be making their debut in an u19 final tournament. With these two teams, the number of participating teams at this phase has surpassed the total of 40 since the inception of this tournament.
Malta were seeded as the first team in Group A (A1). The remaining teams were drawn one after another without any further seeding. The draw order was B1, A2, B2, A3, B3, A4 and B4.
The top two in each group will advance to the knockout phase.
Match dates
Group A: 3, 6, and 9 July
Group B: 4, 7 and 10 July
Semi-finals: 13 July
Final: 16 Jul
