BRATISLAVA (UEFA / SFZ) - On paper, Group C of the UEFA U21 EURO looks like a straightforward affair. France enter as overwhelming favourites – and Slovakia experienced their power firsthand in a March friendly, suffering a 0–4 defeat on home turf.
Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel struck twice in the first half, while Amaud Kalimuendo – a silver medallist from the 2023 Olympics in Paris – added a third after the break. France’s starting eleven in that match had an estimated value of €200 million, higher than that of Slovakia’s senior national team, according to Transfermarkt.
“We saw what modern football really looks like,” said Slovak captain Sebastián Nebyla after the match.
Ironically, France’s squad at that friendly was stronger than the one arriving for the tournament in Slovakia. As the U21 EURO falls outside UEFA’s official calendar, clubs are not obligated to release their players – a serious blow to France’s ambitions.
The last time Les Bleuets won this competition was in 1988, when future stars Eric Cantona and Laurent Blanc led the charge. But they’ll have to chase that long-awaited title without several key figures.
Neither Kalimuendo nor Olympic goalscorers Enzo Millot and Maghnes Akliouche are available. As a result, Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba is expected to take the leadership role.
France begin their campaign in Trenčín against Portugal – the other team favoured to progress from Group C. Portugal dominated qualification with 27 points out of 30, but suffered a setback when top scorer Fábio Silva (8 goals, 5 assists) was ruled out with a muscle injury. Defender Eduardo Quaresma is also unavailable.
This opens the door for emerging talents such as Roger Fernandes (19) and Geovany Quenda (18), who already has a pre-contract with Chelsea for 2026.
“We’re a strong, united team. We’ll give everything to win this title that we’ve been dreaming of,” said defender Lourenço Henriques. “We can’t wait to step onto the pitch, and I’m confident we’ll perform well.”
Poland and Georgia will be hoping to upset the group’s big two, and their opening-day clash in Žilina may prove decisive.
One interesting note: Poland has named just two strikers in their squad. Filip Szymczak scored five goals in the Ekstraklasa, while Wiktor Bogacz recently netted his first-ever goal in Major League Soccer.
Poland enjoyed their strongest U21 runs in the 1980s and 1990s, when they reached the quarter-finals five times. A similar result in Slovakia would be considered a surprise.
Georgia, meanwhile, are returning to the final tournament after their sensational debut two years ago, when they topped their group ahead of Portugal on home soil – only to lose to Israel in a dramatic penalty shootout.
They redeemed themselves in this year's playoffs, edging Croatia in a tense shootout that lasted eight rounds. Now, they’re ready to write another exciting chapter in their footballing journey.
