There are some matches that offer not just the chance to win, but the chance to make history. The Italy U17 team has reached the final of the Euros in Estonia and tomorrow, Sunday 7 June (19:00 CEST), will face Belgium at the Lilleküla Stadium in Tallinn.

Daniele Franceschini's side has built its journey through the tournament on quality, character and consistency. The final phase began with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over previous runners-up France at Tallinn's Kalevi Central Stadium on 26 May, a result that immediately set Italy on course in Group B. A convincing 3-0 win over Montenegro followed on 29 May, while a 3-3 draw against Denmark in the final group-stage fixture on 1 June secured top spot with 7 points. The toughest test so far came in the semi-final on 4 June. After a 1-1 draw with Spain in regulation time, the Azzurrini held their nerve to win 4-2 on penalties and book their place in the final.

Italy's impressive run has also been recognised at Coverciano. During yesterday's senior national team press conference, Roma midfielder Niccolò Pisilli – who made his youth international debut under Franceschini with the Under-18s in Italy's 2-1 victory over France on 13 November 2021 – spoke about the team's achievement.

"We watched the penalty shootout," said Pisilli, who won the U19 Euros in Malta in 2023 and finished runner-up at the U20 World Cup later that year. "We were all cheering together. It's always great when one of our national teams progresses. The Italian youth teams have achieved some outstanding results in recent years."

Those achievements provide the wider context for the Azzurrini's journey. The night in Tallinn represents more than a single sporting accomplishment: it reflects the deep and detailed work carried out by Club Italia over recent years, a project that continues to deliver tangible results on the pitch.

The peak of that process came in 2024, when UEFA awarded Italy the Maurice Burlaz Trophy for the first time, recognising the best-performing European federation at youth level. The award followed a series of outstanding achievements, beginning with the U19 Euros triumph in Malta in 2023 under Alberto Bollini — Italy's second title in the competition after the success of 2003 — and continuing with the historic and, to date, only U17 Euros victory achieved by Massimiliano Favo in Cyprus in 2024.

Further evidence of the programme's consistency and growth came through three consecutive U19 Euros semi-final appearances in 2022, 2023 and 2024 — a first in the category's history — and three successive U17 semi-finals in 2024, 2025 and 2026, another record for Italy's youth national teams. A legacy of results that underlines the strength of the work being done and makes tomorrow's final yet another confirmation of the growth of Italian youth football.

The official pre-match press conference took place this afternoon in the Alfa 1 Hall of the Radisson Olümpia Hotel, attended by head coach Daniele Franceschini and captain Edoardo Biondini, alongside Belgium coach Sven Vermant and captain Elie Mbavu.

"Being a team – one united group – has been fundamental to reaching the final," said Franceschini, who has made it to the Euros final in his first season in charge of the U17s. "Everyone has contributed, from the players to the staff and delegation. We've never lost our unity. Beyond the technical and tactical qualities, I would particularly highlight the human and motivational aspects these boys have shown. Belgium has had an extraordinary tournament and fully deserves its place in the final, but finals are unique matches. Beyond tactics and technique, emotions play a huge role. I'll tell the boys to enjoy the occasion, remain true to themselves, show their qualities and savour the moment."

Among the players expected to feature is midfielder Gianluca Tommaso Okon-Engstler, son of former Fiorentina and Lazio player and coach Paul Okon, who currently plays for Club Brugge in Belgium. The final will carry extra significance for him, as he will come up against his club teammate, defender Léni Strouwen.

THE OPPOSITION. Belgium come into the final on the back of an almost flawless campaign. Sven Vermant's side topped both qualifying rounds with a perfect 9 points, winning Group 5 in Round 1 ahead of Norway (6), Belarus (4) and Moldova (1), before finishing first in League A Group A5 of Round 2 ahead of Serbia (6), Switzerland (3) and Cyprus (0).

The young Red Devils continued their impressive form in Estonia, finishing top of Group A with 6 points, level with Spain and Croatia but ahead on the mini-league goal difference (+1 compared to Spain's 0 and Croatia's -1). Hosts Estonia finished bottom with no points. Their crowning moment came in the semi-final on 4 June, when Belgium defeated France 2-1 at the Kadrioru Stadium to reach the first U17 Euros final in the nation's history.

Belgium's main attacking threat is striker Kiyan Achahbar. The Genk forward, born in 2009, scored 5 goals in 9 matches across the first and second qualifying rounds and remains the team's leading scorer under Sven Vermant despite not yet finding the net in the final tournament.

History, meanwhile, favours Italy. The two nations have met seven times at U17 level, with Italy recording five victories and two draws. The first meeting came on 24 March 2003 at the Kehrwegstadion in Eupen, when Antonio Rocca's Italy side defeated Belgium 3-0 thanks to goals from Michele Paolucci, Leonardo Bianchi and Andrea Bovo in the opening match of Elite Round Group 7. The most recent encounter was on 26 May 2025, when Massimiliano Favo's Italy team secured a 2-1 victory at the Niko Dovana Stadium in Durrës, Albania, in the final Group B match of last year's European Championship finals. The match was decided by a brace from Samuele Inacio, who is now part of the senior Italy setup.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: 1. Emanuele Giaretta (Juventus), 12. Christian Lupo (Lecce);
Defenders: 2. Giampaolo Bonifazi (Roma), 3. Matteo Albini (Como), 4. Djibril Diallo (Parma), 5. Ludovico Varali (Parma), 6. Andrea Donato (Inter), 13. Lorenzo Dattilo (Roma), 14. Lorenzo Puricelli (Inter), 20. Edoardo Dario Rocca (Inter);
Midfielders: 8. Edoardo Biondini (Empoli), 15. Gianluca Tommaso Okon-Engstler (Club Brugge)16. Francesco Ballarin (Venezia), 17. Francesco Gasparello (Atalanta);
Forwards: 7. Jacopo Landi (Empoli), 9. Diego Perillo (Empoli), 10. Thomas Corigliano (Juventus), 11. Marcello Fugazzola (Atalanta), 19. Tommaso Casagrande (Hellas Verona), 21. Federico Croci (Fiorentina).

Staff – Coach: Daniele Franceschini; Head of Delegation: Filippo Corti; Deputy Coordinator of the National Youth Teams: Daniele Zoratto; Technical Assistant: Marco Scarpa; Goalkeeping Coach: Francesco Antonioli; Athletic Trainer: Roberto Ghielmetti; Match Analyst: Francesco Donzella; Doctors: Francesco Cuccaro and Giorgio Liberati Petrucci; Physiotherapists: Aldo Abbadia and Saverio Didonato; Nutritionist: Claudio Pecorella; Academic Tutor: Fabrizio Scarpelli; Club Italia Observer: Claudio Gabetta; Administration, Finance, and Control Office: Andrea Ottaviani; Press Office: Alessandro Paoli; Secretary: Guglielmo Cammino.

UEFA European Under-17 Championship Estonia 2026 | Schedule

Group Stage (25 May – 1 June)

Group A: Estonia, Belgium, Croatia, Spain
Group B: Montenegro, France, ITALY, Denmark

Matchday 1

Monday 25 May
Croatia 0-2 Belgium
Estonia 1-4 Spain

Tuesday 26 May
ITALY 1-0 France
Montenegro 1-2 Denmark

Matchday 2

Thursday, May 28
Belgium 0-1 Spain
Estonia 1-3 Croatia

Friday, May 29
Montenegro 0-3 Italy
France 4-0 Denmark

Matchday 3

Sunday, May 31
Belgium 1-0 Estonia
Spain 2-3 Croatia

Monday, June 1
France 5-0 Montenegro
Denmark 3-3 Italy

Group A standings: Belgium 6 (+1)*, Spain 6 (0)*, Croatia 6 (-1), Estonia 0.

Group B standings: Italy 7, France 6, Denmark 4, Montenegro 0.

*qualified for the semifinals thanks to the best goal difference in the head-to-head standings.

Knockout Stage (June 4–7)

Semi-finals (Thursday, June 4)
Belgium 2-1 France
Italy 1-1 Spain, 4-2 on penalties

Final (Sunday, June 7)
19:00 CEST: Belgium vs. Italy, Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn