UEFA Youth League Betting Odds and Event Info

Date: 2027.04.19 (Final)
Contest: SOCCER
Location: TBA


The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is responsible for promoting and supporting the sport in the region. It not only organizes major European club and national-team competitions, but also works for the growth of the sport and development of young talent. The UEFA Youth League was one such initiative, giving young players an opportunity to compete against leading academies from across Europe.


History:

A precursor to the competition came in 2010 when UEFA organized its special UEFA Under-18 Challenge between the age group sides of the German football club Bayern Munich and Italian football club Inter Milan. The match was organized three days before the all-important UEFA Champions League final to attract as much engagement as possible. It was part of the events involving UEFA Grassroots Day.

UEFA organized the first-ever edition of the Youth League in 2013-14. Youth teams from all the clubs in that year's UEFA Champions League were invited to the youth league with the same group formation as the Champions League.

Barcelona's youth team was the winner of the inaugural edition of the UEFA Youth League.

The league was expanded to 64 teams in 2015-16, adding a separate qualifying path for domestic youth champions. The competition has since expanded further, with a league phase replacing the old Champions League path group stage.


Format:

The UEFA Youth League has two entry paths, which come together in the round of 32.

UEFA Champions League Path:

The youth teams of the 36 clubs in the senior Champions League league phase each play six matches, three at home and three away. These mirror their senior teams' first six Champions League fixtures. All 36 youth teams are ranked in one league table, with the top 22 advancing to the round of 32.

Domestic Champions Path:

This route provides access for domestic youth champions from UEFA's member associations. It consists of three rounds of two-legged ties, with some clubs entering in the second round. Ten teams progress to join the 22 Champions League path qualifiers.

Knockout Phase:

From the round of 32 onwards, the single-legged format is used. In that round, the teams finishing first to sixth in the league phase host those finishing 17th to 22nd, while the ten domestic champions path qualifiers host the teams finishing seventh to 16th.

The semi-finals and final are played at a neutral venue. Tied knockout matches go directly to penalties, with no extra time. In the domestic champions path, this applies if the aggregate score is level after the second leg.

For the 2026-27 season, players generally must have been born on or after January 1, 2008. A limited number of players born in 2007 are permitted under UEFA's registration rules.


2026 Winners:

Real Madrid won the 2025-26 UEFA Youth League, defeating Club Brugge 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final on April 20, 2026. The match was played at Stade de la Tuiliere in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Jacobo Ortega scored for Real Madrid before Tobias Lund Jensen equalized for Club Brugge. Goalkeeper Javier Navarro saved two penalties in the shoot-out as Madrid secured their second title.


Past Winners:

Over the past few years, different youth teams have won the UEFA Youth League. Here is a list of the top winners.

Chelsea's Youth Team:

Chelsea FC's youth team has been one of the most successful teams in the history of the UEFA Youth League, with two titles and two runners-up finishes. They won the youth league in 2015 and 2016. Moreover, they were the runners-up in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the UEFA Youth League.

Barcelona's Youth Side:

Barcelona's youth side holds the record with three UEFA Youth League titles, won in 2014, 2018 and 2025.

Real Madrid's Youth Side:

Real Madrid have won the competition twice, in 2020 and 2026.

Other Winners:

Salzburg, Porto, Benfica, AZ and Olympiacos have each won the UEFA Youth League once, in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively.

AZ U-19 beat Hajduk Split U-19 5-0 in the tournament final to win the 2022-23 edition of the competition.


2026-27 Dates:

The 13th edition of the UEFA Youth League began in September 2026. The knockout stages are scheduled as follows:

- Round of 32: February 2-3, 2027
- Round of 16: February 23-24, 2027
- Quarter-finals: March 16-17, 2027
- Semi-finals: April 16, 2027
- Final: April 19, 2027


UEFA Youth League Betting Odds:

Where offered, UEFA Youth League betting markets may include match results, total goals, both teams to score and tournament winners. Availability varies by bookmaker and fixture.

Youth squads change regularly as players move into senior football or become ineligible through age. Current team selections and first-team call-ups are therefore useful considerations when assessing a match.

Check whether a knockout match bet covers the result after 90 minutes or the team to qualify. A 90-minute result market includes stoppage time but excludes a penalty shoot-out, while a qualification market includes the shoot-out outcome.

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