Germany to take on England in U21 UEFA Euro 2025 final
Germany's best young footballers have continental glory in their sights after beating France in the UEFA U-21 European Championship semi-finals to set up a date with England in Saturday's decider.
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Antonio Di Salvo's men have enjoyed a fantastic tournament so far, winning all five of their matches, including against fellow finalists England in the group stage.
Woltemade has led the charge, scoring six goals - more than any other player at the competition - while Rocco Reitz and Ansgar Knauff have also impressed.
Germany take on England in the final in Bratislava at 21:00 CET on Saturday 28 June.
Follow the best of the action from the U21 Euros below!
Germany set up England showdown
VfB Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade took his tournament-leading goal tally to six on Wednesday as Germany's U21s earned a 3-0 win over a France side containing Kiliann Sildillia (Freiburg) and Castello Lukeba (Leipzig). Mainz's Nelson Weiper opened the scoring in the eighth minute, with Woltemade doubling Germany's lead six minutes later. Former Mainz attacker Brajan Gruda sealed the win with a third goal in stoppage time.
Should Germany beat France, they will play reigning champions England in the final after they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the other semi-final. That marks the end of the road for RB Leipzig's Ezechiel Banzuzi and Fortuna Düsseldorf's Myron van Brederode.
"In terms of individual quality up front, it'll be a bit tougher because France really have some proper calibre there," Gladbach's Rocco Reitz said. "And at the back as well, they are definitely very strong players in the tackle. Whether it'll be as tactically complicated as against Italy, I would doubt that. But we have to be much more careful at the back against France."
"Germany are a very strong team in attack, but we also have strong players in our team," Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba (pictured, r.) told UEFA. "And we shouldn't focus on them, but on ourselves. If we do what we have to do, and put in what the coach wants us to, there's no reason for it to go wrong."
The game at the Košice Football Arena in Slovakia on Wednesday 25 June (kick-off 21:00 CEST), pits together the two highest-scoring teams of the tournament so far. Germany have hit the net 12 times, France 10.
Watch: All of Woltemade's 2024/25 Bundesliga goals
The towering VfB striker, the main man for Germany's U21s, struck 12 times in the league in the recently ended season. Enjoy them all here!
Germany and France prepare for U21 semi clash
The Bundesliga finest will be on show in the semi-final between Germany and France. The latter's squad, of course, is full of talent from the German top flight, while Chrislain Matsima and Castello Lukeba will be looking to keep the German attack under wraps. In the other semi, new RB Leipzig signing Ezechiel Banzuzi and Fortuna Düsseldorf's Myron van Brederode will look to down England.
Germany reach semi-finals
Freiburg midfielder Merlin Röhl (pictured, No.8) scored a 117th-minute winner deep into extra time against Italy to send Germany into the last four. Italy took the lead on 58 minutes, only for Nick Woltemade to equalise 10 minutes later. Mainz forward Nelson Weiper looked to have secured victory with a strike three minutes from normal time, but Guiseppe Ambrosino levelled matters in stoppage time to send the tie to extra time. Germany will now face France in the last four.
France came from behind to beat Denmark 3-2 in the quarter-finals on Sunday evening. Augsburg's Chrislain Matsima (pictured) captained Les Bleuets and started alongside Leipzig's Castello Lukeba in the heart of defence, the latter of whom assisted France's first of the evening. Kiliann Sildillia of Freiburg came off the bench in the second half before former Bayern starlet Mathys Tel grabbed the winner late on. The Frankfurt pair of Oscar Höjlund (Denmark) and Jean-Mattéo Bahoya were both unused substitutes for their respective nations.
Dutch left-back Ian Maatsen (c.), formerly of Borussia Dortmund, was handed the Player of the Match award for his performance against Portugal as the 10-man Netherlands edged out a 1-0 victory. Maatsen held down his left flank, helping his side to their clean sheet, whilst also providing the assist for the winning goal.
Tiago Tomás (r.) started Portugal's quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday, but the Wolfsburg attacker was taken off at half-time. Although the Dutch side were reduced to 10 men after just 21 minutes, they held on and managed to snatch a late winner to advance to the semi-finals.
England and Germany went into the final matchday in Group B aware that a win for either side would secure top spot. Germany coach Antonio Di Salvo changed his entire starting line-up following the Matchday 2 victory over Czechia, but it didn't affect his side's flow in the slightest. Frankfurt attacker Ansgar Knauff (pictured) opened the scoring after just three minutes, with Mainz forward Nelson Weiper doubling the lead half an hour later. England pulled a goal back in the second half but were unable to find an equaliser, leaving Germany to top the section.
Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Oscar Höjlund played from start to finish in Denmark's final Group D assignment against Finland on Wednesday. Even though the Danes let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2, they still advanced to the quarter-finals in first place on seven points. Höjlund will face Frankfurt teammate Bahoya and France in the last eight on 22 June.
Wolfsburg forward Tiago Tomás (pictured, r.) started for Portugal as they earned a 4-0 success over Georgia on Tuesday that sealed their passage to the last eight as Group C winners.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Jean-Mattéo Bahoya (pictured) and Freiburg's Kiliann Sildillia both started for France's U21s in a 4-1 win over Poland in Group C on Tuesday that secured the team's ticket to the quarter-finals, where they will face Denmark on 22 June.
Antonio Di Salvo's side progressed to the UEFA U21 Euro quarter-finals with a group game to spare thanks to a 4-2 victory against the Czech Republic at Dunajská Streda. Goals from Nicolo Tresoldi, Paul Nebel, Nick Woltemade - his fourth of the tournament - and Eric Martel had Germany 4-0 up before the hour mark, with the Czechs subsequently pulling two back. The win keeps Germany two points ahead of England at the top of the section before the teams meet on Wednesday.
France are on the verge of qualifying from their UEFA Euro U21 group after a 3-2 victory at the death against Georgia on Matchday two, where former Bayern star Mathys Tel was awarded player of the match. The Bundesliga bedrock of Matsima, Sildilla and Lukeba will need to hold firm against Poland in their next encounter to make absolutely certain of qualification from the group stages.
Fresh off making his senior international debut, Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade scored a hat-trick as Germany kicked off their Euro U21 campaign with a convincing win over Slovenia. Elsewhere, Frankfurt's Oscar Højlund was an unused substitute in Denmark's 3-2 victory against Ukraine, while Leipzig newcomer Ezechiel Banzuzi watched on from the bench as the Netherlands drew with Finland.
At the UEFA Euro U21 tournament, Castello Lukeba (Leipzig), Chrislain Matsima (Augsburg) and Kiliann Sildillia (Freiburg) made up three of France's back-four as they earned a 0-0 draw against a Portugal side led by Wolfsburg's Tiago Tomás in attack. Matsima wore the captain's armband for his country, while Lukeba earned the Player of the Match award for his efforts. Elsewhere, Holstein Kiel defender Dominik Javorček featured for Slovakia who came from 2-0 down to level 2-2 against Spain before heartbreak in the 90th-minute as the Spanish youngsters clinched a 3-2 victory at the death.
Darmstadt's Jean-Paul Boëtius lasted 84 minutes of Suriname's 1-1 draw away to El Salvador, which ensured Boëtius' visitors maintained a two-point lead over their hosts in Group F of the FIFA World Cup Concacaf qualifiers. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Can Uzun was an unused substitute as Türkiye were defeated 1-0 by Mexico.
Manzambi stars as Swiss brush aside USA
Freiburg teenager Johan Manzambi celebrated his first Switzerland start in style by scoring once and laying on another in his country's 4-0 demolition of the USA on Wednesday. Earning just his second cap, the 19-year-old opened the scoring in a dominant performance from the Swiss. Leverkusen's Granit Xhaka captained the side in the friendly, while Gregor Kobel (Dortmund) and Nico Elvedi (Gladbach) also started. There were appearances off the bench from Aurèle Amenda (Frankfurt) and Miro Muheim (Hamburg), too.
England were in friendly action on Tuesday night and Harry Kane scored again, but his early opening goal wasn't enough in Nottingham as the Three Lions suffered their first defeat under Thomas Tuchel, going down 3-1 to Senegal. Kane played an hour before he heads off to the USA to join up with Bayern at the Club World Cup.
Bundesliga-heavy Austria made it two wins from two in World Cup qualifying. Michael Gregoritsch and Christoph Baumgartner (pictured) got two of the four goals in their 4-0 win in San Marino, with eight Germany-based players starting for Ralf Rangnick's side. Xavi Simons was also on the scoresheet as the Netherlands thrashed Malta 8-0 in Group G. New Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken started, while the Werkself's current incumbent Lukáš Hrádecký played in Finland's 2-1 win against Poland.
Exequiel Palacios came on for Lionel Messi in the closing stages of Argentina's 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires, while Bayer Leverkusen teammate Piero Hincapié played the full 90 minutes in Lima, Peru as Ecuador played out a second straight 0-0 draw to stay ahead of Brazil in second place in CONMEBOL qualifying. Both nations are already assured of a place at the 2026 World Cup with two games of qualifying left to play.
Mainz's Jaesung Lee came off the bench to round off South Korea's 4-0 win over Kuwait in Seoul on Tuesday as the Taegeuk Warriors completed a perfect group stage in the third round of Asian qualifying to secure their place at the 2026 World Cup. Holstein Kiel's Shuto Machino (pictured) got one of Japan's six against Indonesia, with Mainz's Kaishu Sano starting as well. Connor Metcalfe of St. Pauli was also on the scoresheet in Australia's 2-1 win in Saudi Arabia. Both the Samurai Blue and Socceroos have booked their World Cup berths too.
Dortmund's Julian Ryerson and Leipzig's Antonio Nusa (pictured) both started while Hoffenheim's Leo Østigård was a late substitute as Norway made it four wins out of four to maintain a healthy lead at the top of their World Cup qualifying group with a 1-0 win in Estonia on Monday.
Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramarić (pictured) netted a brace in a huge 5-1 win for Croatia against Czechia in a World Cup qualifier on Monday. Bayern's Josip Stanišić also started in the victory, with Bayer Leverkusen pair of Matěj Kovář and Patrick Schick on the wrong end of the drubbing.
Both João Palhinha of Bayern Munich and Alejandro Grimaldo of Bayer Leverkusen were unused substitutes as Portugal narrowly overcame Spain 5-4 on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw in the Nations League final.
Michael Olise came off the bench to score alongside Kylian Mbappé and beat several of his Bayern teammates to Nations League bronze as France beat Germany 2-0 in Stuttgart.
New Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken played for the Netherlands and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win in Finland on Saturday evening.
England made it three wins out of three in World Cup qualifying as Bayern Munich's Harry Kane struck his 72nd international goal to win a close encounter for the Three Lions in Andorra on Saturday.
Hoffenheim's Adam Hložek and Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick were both on the scoresheet as Czechia beat Montenegro 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Plzeň.
Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios played the full 90 minutes as reigning World Cup holders Argentina took a 1-0 win away at neighbours Chile to tighten their grip on top spot in their qualifying table.
Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini and Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza started, while Frankfurt's Farès Chaïbi and Wolfsburg's Mohamed Amoura came off the bench as Algeria beat Rwanda 2-0 in a friendly on Thursday.
Team-mates at club level with Bayern Munich, Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise will be on opposite sides of the pitch in the UEFA Nations League third-place play-off in Stuttgart on Sunday. Germany were defeated by Portugal on Wednesday, while Olise’s France lost 5-4 to Spain on Thursday. The two winning sides will contest the final in Munich.
Union Berlin's Josip Juranović, Wolfsburg's Lovro Majer, Augsburg's Kristijan Jakić and Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramarić are all in the Croatia squad to face Gibraltar on Friday. It will be the first game in their World Cup qualifying journey.
With their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup already underway, Czech Republic will look to build on their two wins from two against Montenegro on Friday night, with the help of Leverkusen's Patrik Schick and Matěj Kovář, and Hoffenheim's Adam Hložek.
Leipzig's Loïs Openda and Marten Vandevoort, as well as Frankfurt's Arthur Theate, will represent Belgium in their opening World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia tomorrow night.
Dortmund's Julian Ryerson, Hoffenheim's Leo Østigård and Leipzig's Antonio Nusa continue their World Cup qualifying campaign against Italy on Friday night, having already won their first two games.
Lee Jae-sung's South Korea continue their own World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to Iraq. They both sit top of their respective qualifying groups, with South Korea on 16 points from six games and Iraq with 18 points in the same number of matches.
St. Pauli midfielder Conor Metcalfe started as the Socceroos beat Japan 1-0 in World Cup qualifying. Mainz's Kaishu Sano started for Japan, while Holstein Kiel's Shuto Machino came off the bench for them with 20 minutes remaining.
New Leverkusen signing Mark Flekken has been training with the Netherlands ahead of a World Cup qualifier in Finland on Saturday.
Another spot in the final up for grabs
Bayern's Michael Olise will hope to be in action for France tonight as they take on a Spain side with Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo in the squad in Stuttgart in the second Nations League semi-final.
A place in the UEFA Nations League final eluded hosts Germany - for whom Joshua Kimmich was making his 100th senior international appearance on Wednesday. Instead it is opponents Portugal who will appear in Sunday's showpiece after Roberto Martínez's men fought back from going a Florian Wirtz goal behind to advance as 2-1 winners in Munich, Francisco Conceição and Cristiano Ronaldo on target for the visitors at the Allianz Arena. Germany will now contest a third-place play-off in Stuttgart on the afternoon of the final.
Find out which Bundelsliga and Bundesliga 2 players have received call-ups right here!
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Watch: Michael Olise - Rookie of the Season
Olise took the Rookie of the Season prize, following a sensational first showing in Bayern colours, comprising some 27 goal involvements in the Bundesliga alone. The Frenchman now has the chance to add to his six senior international caps as Les Bleus chase Nations League gold in Germany this week.
2:02
Watch: Harry Kane - a champion at last
England will look to Harry Kane to fire them past Andorra in World Cup qualifying on 7 June. The Bayern Munich striker top scored in the Bundesliga in 2024/25 with 26 goals, adding to his league-leading 36 from the previous campaign. He also got his hands on his first major trophy as the record champions reclaimed the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen, scooping the Player of the Season award for his efforts.
Tella wins Unity Cup
After ending the domestic season without a trophy, Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella helped Nigeria win the Unity Cup in London, England on 31 May. He started as the Super Eagles, having beaten Ghana in the last four, overcame Jamaica on penalties.
Germany have gone unbeaten on their way to the Nations League semi-finals. Julian Nagelsmann's charges face Portugal in Munich on 4 June, with Spain and a France side featuring Bayern Munich's Michael Olise contesting the other tie. The third-placed match and final will take place four days later.
The Bundesliga 2024/25 season is over, but that doesn't mean the end of the action. A plethora of Germany-based players have been called up to represent their countries in international competition such as the UEFA Nations League, FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying and the Concacaf Gold Cup...
Club-by-club list of Bundesliga & Bundesliga 2 players on international duty
Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović, Leroy Sané (all Germany), Harry Kane (England), Michael Olise (France), Daniel Peretz (Israel), Josip Stanišić (Croatia), Konrad Laimer (Austria), João Palhinha (Portugal), Paul Wanner (Germany U21)
Kaishu Sano (Japan), Philipp Mwene, Nikolas Veratschnig (both Austria), Silvan Widmer (Switzerland), Jae-sung Lee (South Korea), Paul Nebel, Nelson Weiper (both Germany U21)
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