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Greece national under-21 football team
National association football team
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National association football team
("National team of Hopes") Lampros Choutos (15) (Greece; 1993)
Greece Greece 6–0 Latvia Latvia (Greece; 1999) (Hungary; 1976) |}}
The Greece national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Greece and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years and it is considered to be the feeder team for the Greece national football team.
The under-21 competition rules stipulate that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two-year competition, so technically it is up to an U-23 competition. To be eligible for the Greece National Team, all the football players must hold Hellenic (Greek) nationality and comply with the provisions of Article 15 of the regulations governing the Application of FIFA Statutes. A list of 35 football players must be submitted to the UEFA administration 30 days before the European Under-21 Football Championship opening match. Only 22 of the 35 players listed are authorised to take part in the final tournament and three of them must be goalkeepers.
As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, making it possible to play for the U-21s, senior side and again for the U-21s, as Sotiris Ninis has done recently. It is also possible to play more than one country at youth level or different at youth level and different at senior level (provided the player is eligible). But a football player can represent only the senior national team that capped him first.
Also in existence are national teams for Under-20s (for non-UEFA tournaments), Under-19s and Under-17s.
History
The first time that Greece's national team of hopes were formed was in 1968, with the aim of participating in the first Balkan Youth Championship that took place at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki.
In their maiden match she played with the corresponding team in Turkey; the match ended in a goalless draw.
The first eleven were the following: Tourkomenis, B. Intzoglou (59' Dimitriou), Chaliambalias, Kyriazis, Athanasopoulos, Karafeskos, Filakouris, Sarafis (46' Stoligas), K. Papaioannou, Koudas, Kritikopoulos (70' Alexiadis).
In the following years, Greece won twice the Balkan Youth Championship (1969 and 1971), and they fought twice (1988 and 1998) in the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Competition Record
As of 11 October 2025
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA U-23 Championship | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| UEFA U-21 Championship | 230 | 108 | 40 | 82 |
UEFA European U23 Championship record
| UEFA European U21 Championship record | Qualification record | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Semi-finals | 3rd/4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | ||
| 1974 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | ||||||||||
| 1976 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | |||||||||||
| Total | 0 titles | 1/3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 16 | −5 |
UEFA European U21 Championship record
| UEFA European U21 Championship record | Qualification record | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | −12 | ||||||||||
| 1980 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | |||||||||||
| 1982 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | |||||||||||
| 1984 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | |||||||||||
| 1986 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | |||||||||||
| 1988 | Final | Runners-up | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | ||
| 1990 | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 11 | −8 | ||||||||||
| 1992 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 13 | −7 | |||||||||||
| FRA 1994 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 6 | +17 | ||
| ESP 1996 | Did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 0 | ||||||||||
| ROM 1998 | Final | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | +5 | ||
| SVK 2000 | Did not qualify | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 33 | 13 | +20 | ||||||||||
| SUI 2002 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 8 | +10 | ||
| GER 2004 | Did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | ||||||||||
| POR 2006 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 9 | +9 | |||||||||||
| NED 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | |||||||||||
| SWE 2009 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 13 | +7 | |||||||||||
| DEN 2011 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 12 | +1 | |||||||||||
| ISR 2013 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 15 | −1 | |||||||||||
| CZE 2015 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 10 | +10 | |||||||||||
| POL 2017 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 14 | −1 | |||||||||||
| ITASMR 2019 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 7 | +19 | |||||||||||
| HUNSLO 2021 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 11 | −1 | |||||||||||
| ROMGEO 2023 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 10 | +6 | |||||||||||
| SVK 2025 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 14 | +6 | |||||||||||
| ALBSRB 2027 | to be determined | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | +14 | ||||||||||
| Total | 0 titles | 4/25 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 19 | −2 | 203 | 102 | 30 | 71 | 335 | 238 | +97 |
Honours
| Type | Competition | Titles | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Ref. | UEFA European Under-23 Championship | UEFA European Under-21 Championship | Balkan Youth Championship | Valeriy Lobanovskyi Memorial Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International | 0 | 1972 | ||||||||
| 0 | 1988, 1998 | |||||||||
| Regional | 2 | 1969, 1971 | ||||||||
| 0 | 2015, 2018 |
- Shared record
Results and schedule
The following is a list of match results from the previous 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2025
- Rupanov
- Alexiou
- Vlahović
- Kyriopoulos
- Koutsias
- Papakanellos
- Pnevmonidis
- Koutsias
- Rallis
- Damar
- Rothe
- Kostoulas
- Tzimas
- Rallis
- Tzimas
- Tzimas
- Kalogeropoulos
- Keramitsis
- Alexiou
- Gkoumas
- Tzimas
- Smyrlis
2026
Euro 2027 Under-21 Championship qualification
2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification
Main article: 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group F
Coaching staff
Managers
The following table provides a summary of the complete record of each Greece team manager including their results regarding European Under-21 Championship.
:Key: Pld–games played, W–games won, D–games drawn; L–games lost, %–win percentage
| Manager | Greece tenure | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | Major competitions | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | GRE | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2007 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2006 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2007 European Championship – Failed to qualify | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2009 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2011 European Championship – Play-offs | |||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2013 European Championship – Failed to qualify | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2015 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2017 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2019 European Championship – Play-offs | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2021 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2023 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | [[File:Symbol delete vote.svg | 15px]] 2025 European Championship – Failed to qualify | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | to be determined |
Last updated: 18 November 2025. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.
Players
Current squad
The following 25 players were called up for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Georgia and Northern Ireland on 14 and 18 November 2025.
Names in italics denote players who have been capped for the senior team.
Recent call-ups
Following are listed players called up in the previous twelve months who are still eligible to represent the under-21 team. INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Included in preliminary roster
Player records
:Players in bold are still active with under-21 Greece.
Top appearances
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Year(s) | U-21 caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giorgos Karagounis | Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrnis | 1993–1998 | 39 |
| 2 | Georgios Alexopoulos | Panathinaikos | 1996–1998 | 33 |
| 3 | Dimitrios Papadopoulos | Akratitos, Burnley | 2000–2002 | 27 |
| Anastasios Lagos | Panathinaikos | 2011–2014 | ||
| 5 | Vasilios Lakis | Paniliakos | 1996–1998 | 25 |
| Ioannis Amanatidis | Stuttgart, Greuther Fürth | 2000–2003 | ||
| 7 | Dimitrios Mavrogenidis | Aris Thessaloniki, Olympiacos | 1996–1998 | 24 |
| Apostolos Vellios | Everton, Blackpool, Lierse | 2011–2014 | ||
| Elini Dimoutsos | Panathinaikos, OFI, Panetolikos | 2008–2010 |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Year(s) | U-21 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikos Liberopoulos | Kalamata, Panathinaikos | 1994–1998 | 15 |
| Lampros Choutos | Olympiacos | 1999–2002 | ||
| 3 | Giorgos Karagounis | Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrnis | 1993–1998 | 11 |
| Dimitrios Papadopoulos | Akratitos, Burnley | 2000–2002 | ||
| 5 | Nikos Karelis | Ergotelis, Amkar Perm, Panathinaikos | 2010–2014 | 9 |
| 6 | Efthymis Koulouris | Anorthosis, PAOK, Atromitos | 2016–2018 | 7 |
| Antonis Petropoulos | Haidari, Egaleo, Panathinaikos, OFI | 2005–2008 | ||
| Vangelis Mantzios | Panionios | 2003–2005 | ||
| Lazaros Christodoulopoulos | PAOK, Panathinaikos | 2005–2008 | ||
| Nikolaos Ioannidis | Borussia Dortmund II | 2015–2016 | ||
| Georgios Koutsias | PAOK, PAOK B, Volos, Chicago Fire, Lugano | 2020– |
Former squads
References
References
- "Hellenic Football Federation".
- (14 February 2004). "Europe U-23 Championship 1972".
- (21 July 2025). "Europe - U-23/U-21 Tournaments".
- (21 January 2006). "Balkan Youth Championship 1968-1981".
- (2 August 2018). "Lobanovsky International Tournament (Kyiv)".
- "Κλήσεις Εθνικής Ελπίδων για προκριματικά EURO U21".
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