The Spain national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita (The Little Red), competes in the biennial UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, the Spain under-21 team was formed. Spain has a strong record (competition winners five times and runners-up twice); having consecutively won the 2011 and 2013 Championships. They hold the joint record with Italy for the most wins of the competition.
Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two-year competition, technically it is an U-23 competition. For this reason, Spain's brief record in the preceding U-23 competitions is also shown, though in actuality, Spain played only three competitive U-23 matches. The first was in the "under-23 Challenge", which they lost, while the next two were in a two-team qualification "group" for the 1972 competition (facing the Soviet Union team, they lost 2–1 at home then drew 1–1 away and failed to qualify. Spain did not enter a team in the other two U-23 competitions, but have been ever present in under-21 competitions).
Spain's youth development programs has been challenging the South American dominance in the FIFA U-17 World Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup. In fact, 20 of the Spanish 23-man squad that won the Euro 2008 came through the ranks of the youth teams; most of them had won titles at the youth level as well.
Competitive record
UEFA European Under-21 Championship record YearRoundGPWD*LGSGA1978Qualifying Stage4202581980Qualifying Stage4121421982Quarter-finals65011451984Runners-up1052311111986Champions107121891988Quarter-finals84221041990Quarter-finals6402541992Qualifying Stage732265 1994Third Place12921219 1996Runners-up1410313414 1998Champions111010216 2000Third Place141130317 2002Qualification Playoffs10613159 2004Qualification Playoffs10622175 2006Qualifying Stage10622378 2007Qualification Playoffs421184 2009Group Stage131012277 2011Champions151221318 2013Champions151410475 2015Qualification Playoffs10721258 2017Runners-up1511224312 2019Champions1513024516 2021Semifinals151221273 2023Runners-up1312115010 2025Quarter-finals1411213512Total17/252521813635537181 *Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicks. Gold background color indicates first-place finish. Silver background color indicates second-place finish. Bronze background color indicates third-place finish. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Individual awards Spanish players have won individual awards at UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
YearGolden PlayerGolden Boot 1986Manolo Sanchís 1998Francesc Arnau 2011Juan MataAdrián 2013ThiagoÁlvaro Morata 2017Dani CeballosSaúl 2019Fabián Ruiz 2023Sergio Gómez
Player records
Top appearances Rank Player Club(s) Year(s) U-21 Caps1Gerard DeulofeuBarcelona, Everton, Sevilla, Milan2012–2017362Borja MayoralReal Madrid, VfL Wolfsburg, Levante2015–201931 Jorge MeréSporting Gijón, FC Köln2015–201931 Iker MuniainAthletic Bilbao2011–2014315Dani CeballosBetis, Real Madrid2015–201929 Beñat TurrientesReal Sociedad2021–2025297Santi DeniaAlbacete, Atlético Madrid1992–199627 David de GeaAtlético Madrid, Manchester United2009–201327 Abel RuizBarcelona, Sporting Braga2019–20232710Diego CapelSevilla2007–201125 Mikel OyarzabalReal Sociedad2017–201925 SaúlAtlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano2013–201725 XaviBarcelona1998–200125 Note: represents all the clubs that players played in at the time they did it too in the Under-21s.
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club(s) Year(s) U-21 Goals1Gerard DeulofeuBarcelona, Everton, Sevilla, Milan2012–2017172Borja MayoralReal Madrid, VfL Wolfsburg, Levante2015–2019163RodrigoBenfica2011–2013154IscoMálaga, Real Madrid2011–2014145Álvaro MorataReal Madrid, Juventus2013–201413 Abel RuizBarcelona, Sporting Braga2019–2023137ÓscarBarcelona, Albacete1992–1996128MunirBarcelona2014–2016109Pablo CouñagoCelta, Recreativo, Ipswich Town1999–20019 AdriánDeportivo, Alavés, Málaga, Atlético Madrid2007–20119 SaúlAtlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano2013–20179 Note: represents all the clubs that players played in at the time they did it too in the Under-21s.
Caps and goals correct as of 21 June 2025.
Recent results DateCompetitionLocationOpponentResultScorers 8 September 20232025 UEFA U-21 qualification Paola, Malta6–0Diego López , Gabri Veiga , Ilias , Pablo Torre , Turrientes 11 September 20232025 UEFA U-21 qualification Jaén, Spain1–0Turrientes 13 October 2023 Friendly Tashkent, Uzbekistan0–0 17 October 20232025 UEFA U-21 qualificationAstana, Kazakhstan4–0Fermín López , Diego López , Fran Pérez , Omorodion 17 November 20232025 UEFA U-21 qualification Huelva, Spain2–0Carlos Martín , Pablo Torre 21 November 20232025 UEFA U-21 qualification Leuven, Belgium1–1Omorodion 21 March 2024FriendlyJerez, Spain0–2 26 March 20242025 UEFA U-21 qualification Almería, Spain1–0Joseph 6 September 20242025 UEFA U-21 qualification Edinburgh, Scotland2–1Huijsen , Joseph 10 September 20242025 UEFA U-21 qualification Szeged, Hungary1–0Navarro 10 October 20242025 UEFA U-21 qualification La Línea, Spain4–3Joseph , Turrientes 15 October 20242025 UEFA U-21 qualification Algeciras, Spain6–0Omorodion , Peque , Fernández 15 November 2024FriendlyLa Línea, Spain0–0 19 November 2024FriendlyAlbacete, Spain2–1Javi Guerra , Joseph 21 March 2025 Friendly Lorca, Spain2–2Joseph , Tárrega 25 March 2025 Friendly Darmstadt, Germany1–3Gabri Veiga 6 June 2025 Friendly Alcorcón, Spain0–1 11 June 20252025 UEFA U-21 Bratislava, Slovakia3–2Pubill , Joseph , Tárrega 14 June 20252025 UEFA U-21 Bratislava, Slovakia2–1Jauregizar , Fernández 17 June 20252025 UEFA U-21 Trnava, Slovakia1–1Jesús Rodríguez 21 June 20252025 UEFA U-21 Trnava, Slovakia1–3Javi Guerra 5 September 20252027 UEFA U-21 qualification Soria, Spain3–0Obrador , Yarek , Pablo García 9 September 20252027 UEFA U-21 qualification Pristina, Kosovo3–0Joel Roca , Iker Bravo , Adrián Niño 10 October 2025Friendly Guadalajara, Spain4–1Simo , Ángel Ortiz , Gonzalo , Miguel Carvalho 14 October 20252027 UEFA U-21 qualification Castellón, Spain2–1Mayenda , Gonzalo 14 November 20252027 UEFA U-21 qualification Lugo, Spain7–0Virgili , Miguel Carvalho , Iker Bravo , Guiu , Jesús Rodríguez , Pablo García 18 November 20252027 UEFA U-21 qualification Sibiu, Romania2–0Gonzalo , Fresneda 27 March 20262027 UEFA U-21 qualification Larnaca, Cyprus7–0Mills , Gonzalo , Fer López , Mayenda , Adrián Niño , Joel Roca 31 March 20262027 UEFA U-21 qualification Alcalá de Henares, Spain2–0Gonzalo , Pablo García 25 September 20262027 UEFA U-21 qualification Tampere, Finland1–2Ramón
Forthcoming fixtures DateCompetitionLocationOpponent
2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group phase
Players Players born in 2004 or later are eligible for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Players in bold have been already capped with the senior team.
Current squad The following players were named in the squad for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group A matches against Finland, San Marino and Romania on 25, 30 September and 6 October 2026; respectively.
Caps and goals as of 30 September 2026, after the match against San Marino.
Recent call-ups The following players have been called up within the last twelve months are still eligible for selection.
GF
Honours Titles UEFA European Under-21 Championship Champions (5): 1986, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2019. (Shared Record) Runners-up (4): 1984, 1996, 2017, 2023. Third place (3): 1994, 2000, 2021
Former squads 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain 1994 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads – Spain
See also Spain national football team Spain national under-23 football team Spain national under-20 football team Spain national under-19 football team Spain national under-18 football team Spain national under-17 football team Spain national under-16 football team Spain national under-15 football team Spain national youth football team
Notes
References
External links
by RFEF Tournament archive at UEFA Europe – U-23/U-21 Tournaments at RSSSF