A chance to shine – The UEFA Futsal U19 EURO 2022

Spain to host 2022 U19 Futsal EURO in Jaén

Spain will host the second addition of the U19 UEFA Futsal EURO at Olivo Arena, Jaén in September 2022 following a decision by the UEFA Executive Committee in Montreux, Switzerland.

The proposed venue for the eight-team event is the 6,500-capacity Olivo Arena in Jaén. The newly-built facility in the Andalusian city is to be home to Jaén FS, two-time Spanish Futsal Cup winners, as well as staging other sports and events.

The 6,500-capacity Olivo Arena in Jaén

Spain won the first edition of the competition, held by Latvia in Riga in September 2019. The second edition was originally due to take place in 2021 but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

34 teams have entered, with 33 competing to join hosts Spain in the finals scheduled from 3–10 September 2022. Hoping to reach the last eight again will be runners-up Croatia, semi-finalists Portugal and Poland plus group contenders Russia, Ukraine, the Netherlands and hosts Latvia. Making their debuts will be Estonia, Gibraltar and Wales.

The seven finalists joining Spain in Jaén will be decided by 20 March 2022 after the second of two scheduled rounds of qualifying. The final tournament will follow the same format as 2019, with two groups of four leading to knockout semi-finals.

Competition calendar

• Qualifying draw: 15:00 CET, 30 August 2021
• Preliminary round: 2–7 November 2021
• Main round: 15–20 March 2022
• Final tournament (provisional dates): 3–10 September 2022

How the draw works

• Hosts Spain will receive a bye to the finals.
• Of the 33 other entrants, the seven lowest-ranked association by coefficient (based on results in the inaugural edition) begin in November’s preliminary round.
• The seven preliminary round contenders will compete for two places alongside the 26 nations entering in March’s main round, which will produce Spain’s seven opponents for the finals.
• Both rounds will be played as one-venue mini-tournaments with the group winners progressing to the next stage.

Preliminary round (2–7 November 2021)

• Teams will be split into three seeding tiers (two in each of positions 1 and 2, and the other three in positions 3 or 4), based on their coefficients, and drawn accordingly. Group A will contain four teams and Group B will have three.
• San Marino (position 2) and Gibraltar (position 3 or 4) have been pre-designated as mini-tournament hosts and will be drawn from a separate Pot 1 while maintaining their seeding. If Gibraltar are drawn in Group A, they will occupy position 4; if they are in Group B they will occupy position 3.
• Next to be drawn will be Pot 2, containing the remaining teams from the lowest seeding tier, Estonia and Wales. If Gibraltar are in Group A, the first team drawn will be placed in position 3 of Group A and the other in position 3 of Group B. If Gibraltar are in Group B, both Estonia and Wales will be in Group A with the draw determining who occupies position 3 or 4.
• Pot 3 will contain just one team, Montenegro. They will be drawn into position 2 or whichever group San Marino were not placed in.
• Pot 4 will contain North Macedonia and Andorra, who will each be placed in position 1 with the first team drawn in Group A.
• Any further restrictions will be confirmed ahead of the draw.

Seeding pots
Pot 1: hosts
San Marino (seeding position 2)
Gibraltar (4 or 3)

Pot 2: seeding position 4 or 3
Estonia
Wales

Pot 3: seeding position 2
Montenegro

Pot 4: seeding position 1
North Macedonia
Andorra

Main round (15–20 March 2022)
Seven groups of four will be formed: the seven group winners join hosts Spain in the finals in Jaén from 3–10 September 2022.
Teams will be split into four seeding tiers according to their coefficients: the two preliminary round group winners will join those ranked 23 to 24 in position 4.
Croatia, Portugal, Ukraine, Turkey, Romania, Finland and Serbia have been pre-designated as mini-tournament hosts and will be drawn from Pot 1 while maintaining their seeding.
The remaining sides are drawn by seeding tiers from Pots 2 to 5 in a similar fashion to the preliminary round, filling the vacant slots for their respective positions in each group.
Any further restrictions will be confirmed ahead of the draw.

Seeding pots
2019 semi-final: Croatia pip Portugal on penalties

Pot 1: hosts
Croatia (seeding position 1)
Portugal (1)
Ukraine (1)
Turkey (2)
Romania (3)
Finland (3)
Serbia (4)

Pot 2: seeding position 4
Greece
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Winner preliminary round Group A
Winner preliminary round Group B

Pot 3: seeding position 3
Latvia
Cyprus
Italy
Hungary
Moldova

Pot 4: seeding position 2
Belgium
France
Slovakia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Czech Republic
Belarus

Pot 5: seeding position 1
Poland
Russia
Netherlands
Slovenia

Age limit
Players are eligible to play in the competition if they were born on or after 1 January 2002, the date which was originally set when the competition was scheduled to conclude with a final tournament in September 2021. The biennial competition will return to odd-numbered years from the next edition, with the final tournament in 2023.

If you never saw the last UEFA U19 Futsal EURO, here are highlights of the final between Spain and runners up Croatia: