The highly anticipated UEFA European Under-21 Championship final between England and Germany is set to take place today, June 28, 2025, at the Tehelné Pole Stadium in Bratislava, Slovakia. The match is scheduled to kick off at 8pm BST.
England, the defending champions, are aiming to retain their title after their victory in Georgia in 2023. However, they face a formidable challenge against a German side that has already defeated them in the group stage of the competition. This will be the third time England and Germany have met in a U21 Championship final. England won 5-4 on aggregate in 1982, while Germany won 4-0 in 2009.
England's road to the final included a 3-1 victory over Czechia, a 0-0 draw with Slovenia, and a 1-2 defeat to Germany in the group stage. In the knockout stages, they secured a 3-1 win against Spain in the quarter-finals and a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the semi-finals. Harvey Elliott has been a key player for England, scoring twice in the semi-final against the Netherlands. He has moved level with Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers in the MU21s goalscoring ranks.
Germany's journey to the final saw them defeat Slovenia 3-0, Czechia 4-2, and England 2-1 in the group stage. They then overcame Italy 3-2 in the quarter-finals after extra time and dominated France with a 3-0 victory in the semi-finals. Germany have won all five of their matches in the tournament so far. Nick Woltemade is the tournament's leading scorer with six goals.
England will have a mostly intact squad for the final, although Tyler Morton is suspended. Harvey Elliott had a knee problem after the semi-final, making him doubtful for the final. Germany will be without Max Rosenfelder, a key centre-back, who is ruled out due to an injury sustained in the semi-final.
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Channel 4 and streamed live on UEFA.TV.
Both teams have won the U21 Championship three times, and the winner of today's match will move within one title of the tournament record of five, held jointly by Spain and Italy.
Germany's U21 team had a minor off-field issue after their semi-final when a woman accused them of stealing beer glasses. However, the team has denied the allegations.
