1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship ran from 16 February to 12 October and featured 30 teams from one confederation. Spanning 1986–88, it marked the Republic of Ireland’s first appearance. France Under-21s won their first title, with Greece finishing as runners-up.
In total, 98 matches were played and 261 goals were scored (about 2.66 per match). Attendance reached 143,886 (about 1,468 per match). The top scorer was Aris Karasavvidis with 5 goals, and the best player was Laurent Blanc.
The 30 national teams were divided into eight groups (six groups of four teams and two groups of three). The group winners advanced to a two-legged knockout stage, with no finals tournament or third-place playoff.
Group allocations followed the UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying format, adjusted for some nations’ absence. All times shown were local (UTC+1).
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:59 (CET).