The last time England’s (senior men’s) football team beat Germany in extra time in a major final was back in 1966. But Lee Carsley’s England U21 side made their own history on 28th June 2025 as they beat Germany 3-2 (AET) to win the UEFA European Under-21 Championship for the second time in a row.
In this article, we’ll explain how England’s Young Lions went all the way in Slovakia, and we’ll take a look back at the previous time England won back-to-back European Under-21 Championships back in the 1980s.
England’s Route to Glory
FULL-TIME IN BRATISLAVA!!
OUR #YOUNGLIONS ARE BACK-TO-BACK EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS! 🏴🏆 pic.twitter.com/nnMwbKy03U
— England (@England) June 28, 2025
Lee Carsley was in charge of the Under-21s last time they won in 2023, but the players he had at his disposal this time around were very different. The likes of Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon had long since progressed to the senior side, although a couple of faces who were there in 2023 were still present, notably Liverpool man Harvey Elliott.
Despite Carsley being passed over for the senior men’s England job (seemingly to his relief!), the U21 boss certainly knows what he’s doing at this level. He cut a composed and assured figure during this tournament as he guided his team through Group B, even when things weren’t going his side’s way. Things started brightly enough as England kicked off with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic. Some players appeared nervous in their second game and couldn’t get the breakthrough against a dogged Slovenia side as the game ended goalless.
The third game was another stuttering performance as England lost 2-1 to Germany, but there were bright sparks in the game and Carsley’s men had done enough to secure second spot and a quarter-final tie against Spain.
Knockout Stage
England would have ideally avoided Spain, given that they have won the tournament five times (a joint record with Italy). But as it turned out, it was just what England needed to kick them into gear. The Young Lions got off to a fast start with Man City’s James McAtee opening the scoring after just 10 minutes. Harvey Elliott got his second goal of the tournament five minutes later to take command of the game.
Spain looked shaken but they got their act together and hit back from the penalty spot after 39 minutes. It made for an even and – from an England point of view – nervy second period, but Carsley’s men wrapped up the win with a penalty of their own from Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson in stoppage time.
England faced two-time tournament winners Netherlands in the semis, and Harvey Elliott shone as he scored twice to help his side to a deserved 2-0 victory. In the other semi, Germany beat France 3-0, so England would have to overcome the side that had beaten them in the group stage.
Once again, England got off to a flying start, with that man Elliott sweeping in for his fifth goal of the tournament. England pushed for another, and it duly came through Omari Hutchinson as his confident finish made it 2-0. Germany muscled their way back into the game, however, as the three-time U21 Euros winners got one back in first-half injury time through a Nelson Weiper header. After an hour, things got worse for Carsley’s side as Germany equalised through Paul Nebel. Neither side could get the winner in normal time and it went to extra time.
Thankfully for England, they were fast out of the blocks once again and substitute Jonathan Rowe headed in what turned out to be the winner in the 92nd minute. Now England can look ahead to the next U21 Euros in 2027, where they’ll look to make it three victories in a row. But let’s look back now to when England last won two in succession.
England Under-21 Euros Wins in 1982 and 1984
The 1980s don’t always evoke memories of a successful England team, but when it comes to the Under-21s, it was – until recently – their heyday. Former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Dave Sexton was the man at the helm for the 1982 and 1984 U21 Euros, and the north Londoner was brilliantly effective. He led Chelsea to the FA Cup in 1969/70 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup the following year, while he also finished as top-flight runners-up with both QPR and Man United.
Indeed, he managed the England U21s on a largely part-time basis alongside his club management jobs for a large chunk of his initial tenure from 1977 to 1990. But that didn’t stop him leading the Young Lions to glory… twice.
U21 Euro 1982
The 1982 U21 Euros was just the third time the tournament had taken place and England got off to an appalling start to their qualification campaign as they went down 4-0 to Romania. England got their revenge on home soil, winning 3-0; before that they’d also hammered Switzerland 5-0 in front of their own fans. With a draw away to Switzerland and home and away wins over Hungary, England eased through the main tournament.
Drawn against Poland in the quarters, England edged it 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-1 victory and a 2-2 draw. Scotland were up next in the semis and once again England squeaked through, this time 2-1 on aggregate. In the final against West Germany, the Young Lions won 3-1 on home soil in the first leg, with two goals from Gary Owen (who played for West Brom at the time) and one from Justin Fashanu. Germany’s goal was scored by the future World Cup winner, Rudi Völler.
In the return leg, it was almost Germany’s day as Pierre Littbarski scored an impressive hat-trick but England scored two of their own to win 5-4 on aggregate and win their first U21 Euros.
U21 Euro 1984
England once again cruised through qualification for the 1984 tournament. This time they faced France in the quarters and hammered them 7-1 on aggregate. It was closer in the semis as Sexton’s men edged past Italy 3-2 on aggregate. In the two-legged final against Spain, England were very impressive and with a squad that included the likes of Gary Mabbutt, Gary Stevens, Dave Watson, Steve Hodge and Mark Hateley, the Young Lions won 3-0 on aggregate, with Hateley scoring and building his reputation as a growing star of the game.
.jpg){kind=link}