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.
Contents
Competitive record
UEFA European Under-21 Championship record
*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.
Player records
Top appearances
Note: Club(s) represents all the clubs that players played in at the time they did it too in the Under-21s.
Top goalscorers
Note: Club(s) 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.
2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
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 match against Cyprus and Kosovo on 27 and 31 March 2026, respectively.
Caps and goals as of 31 March 2026, after the match against Kosovo.
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up within the last twelve months are still eligible for selection.
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