UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955. In 1980, it was restyled the European Under 18 Football Championship, and as changes were made to player eligibility dates in 2001, the championship received its current name, and this name has been used since the 2002 championship. The contest has been held every year since its inauguration in 1948, except for the period between 1984 and 1992, when it was only held every other year.
The tournament has been played in a number of different formats during its existence. Currently it consists of two stages, similarly to UEFA's other European championship competitions. The qualifying stage is open to all UEFA members, and the final stage is contested between eight teams.
During even years, the best finishing teams earn participation right to the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in the next (odd) year. Currently, six European teams can qualify for the World Cup by finishing in the top-3 of their groups.
Read more about UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: UEFA European Youth Championship, Winners By Country
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