The 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification began in 1996. The final tournament was held in 1998 in Romania.
The 46 national teams were divided into nine groups (eight groups of 5 + one group of 6). The records of the nine group winners were compared, and the eighth and ninth ranked teams played-off against each other for the eight quarter finals spot. One of the eight quarter-finalist were then chosen to host the remaining fixtures.
Qualifying groups Draw The allocation of teams into qualifying groups was based on that of 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification with several changes, reflecting the absence of some nations: Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 featured the same nations Group 3 did not include Azerbaijan, but included France (who did not participate in World Cup qualification) Group 6 did not include Faroe Islands Group 8 did not include Liechtenstein Group 9 did not include Northern Ireland
Group 1 Team 8512127+5168512169+7168404139+4128305913−498125618−125
Greece 0–2 Slovenia Greece 1–0 Bosnia & Herz. Slovenia 0–3 Denmark Bosnia & Herz. 3–1 Croatia Denmark 1–3 Greece Slovenia 2–0 Bosnia & Herz. Croatia 0–1 Greece Croatia 2–0 Denmark Bosnia & Herz. 0–0 Greece Croatia 2–0 Slovenia Greece 2–0 Croatia Denmark 2–1 Slovenia Denmark 5–0 Bosnia & Herz. Bosnia & Herz. 1–1 Denmark Croatia 6–1 Bosnia & Herz. Slovenia 1–3 Greece Denmark 1–0 Croatia Bosnia & Herz. 1–2 Slovenia Greece 2–3 Denmark Slovenia 1–2 Croatia qualify as group winners
Group 2 Team 853071+618833210100128323176+111181521015−588116517−124
Moldova 0–2 England Moldova 0–3 Italy England 0–0 Poland Italy 6–0 Georgia Georgia 0–1 England Poland 1–3 Moldova England 1–0 Italy Italy 6–0 Moldova Poland 1–1 Italy England 0–0 Georgia Italy 1–1 Poland Poland 1–1 England Georgia 1–0 Moldova Poland 2–2 Georgia England 1–0 Moldova Georgia 2–0 Italy Moldova 0–0 Georgia Moldova 2–3 Poland Georgia 5–1 Poland Italy 0–1 England qualify as group winners
Group 3 Team 85212210+12178431138+51582331317−498233810−298116920−114
Norway 1–1 France Hungary 0–1 Finland Finland 1–1 Switzerland Norway 4–1 Hungary Switzerland 3–7 Norway France 2–0 Hungary France 1–0 Switzerland Norway 3–0 Finland Switzerland 4–1 Hungary France 2–1 Finland Finland 1–1 France Hungary 2–0 Norway Hungary 2–2 Switzerland Finland 0–0 Norway Switzerland 2–1 Finland Hungary 2–4 France Norway 4–1 Switzerland Finland 3–1 Hungary Switzerland 0–0 France France 2–3 Norway qualify as group winners
Group 4
Team 10901306+2427106222112+92010622177+102010226618−128102171020−10710118425−214 style="text-align:right;"— 2–0 7–1 0–0 4–0 0–4 style="text-align:right;" 1–1— 3–1 2–0 1–0 0–1style="text-align:right;" 0–1 1–1— 0–1 0–1 0–2style="text-align:right;" 1–3 0–2 0–1— 0–0 0–2style="text-align:right;" 1–2 0–3 4–0 2–4— 1–4style="text-align:right;" 4–1 1–3 5–0 5–0 2–1—
qualify as group winners
Group 5 Team 8611277+20198521179+81784041612+41283141615+1108008336−330
Russia 2–1 Cyprus Israel 2–0 Bulgaria Israel 1–0 Russia Luxembourg 0–4 Bulgaria Luxembourg 1–7 Russia Cyprus 1–1 Israel Cyprus 3–0 Bulgaria Israel 2–1 Luxembourg Cyprus 0–4 Russia Luxembourg 0–5 Israel Bulgaria 3–1 Cyprus Russia 8–0 Luxembourg Israel 4–3 Cyprus Bulgaria 3–0 Luxembourg Russia 1–1 Israel Bulgaria 3–1 Israel Luxembourg 1–2 Cyprus Bulgaria 1–2 Russia Russia 3–2 Bulgaria Cyprus 5–0 Luxembourg qualify as group winners
Group 6 Team 8710186+12228602143+111883141610+61083051313098008029−290
Yugoslavia 1–0 Malta Czech Rep. 4–0 Malta Slovakia 3–0 Malta Czech Rep. 1–2 Spain Yugoslavia 3–0 Czech Rep. Spain 1–1 Slovakia Spain 1–0 Yugoslavia Malta 0–3 Spain Spain 1–0 Malta Malta 0–6 Slovakia Czech Rep. 0–1 Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 1–2 Spain Yugoslavia 1–0 Slovakia Spain 4–0 Czech Rep. Slovakia 0–1 Czech Rep. Slovakia 0–1 Yugoslavia Malta 0–5 Czech Rep. Slovakia 3–4 Spain Czech Rep. 2–3 Slovakia Malta 0–6 Yugoslavia qualify as group winners
Group 7 Team 8611265+21198503168+81584131612+4138404990128008235−330
San Marino 0–3 Wales Wales 4–0 San Marino Belgium 1–2 Turkey Wales 0–2 Netherlands San Marino 1–5 Belgium Netherlands 0–1 Wales Turkey 3–0 San Marino Wales 0–3 Turkey Belgium 2–2 Netherlands Netherlands 6–0 San Marino Wales 1–0 Belgium Turkey 0–1 Netherlands Turkey 1–2 Belgium San Marino 0–7 Netherlands Belgium 3–0 San Marino Turkey 3–0 Wales Netherlands 5–2 Belgium San Marino 1–4 Turkey Netherlands 3–0 Turkey Belgium 1–0 Wales qualify as group winners
Group 8 Team 8800184+1424841310100138305117+498305812−498116317−144
Iceland 2–0 R.Macedonia Romania 2–1 Lithuania Lithuania 0–3 Iceland Ireland 4–0 R.Macedonia Iceland 2–3 Romania Ireland 0–1 Iceland R.Macedonia 0–1 Romania Lithuania 1–2 Romania R.Macedonia 0–4 Ireland Romania 1–0 Ireland R.Macedonia 1–1 Iceland Iceland 0–2 Lithuania Ireland 2–0 Lithuania Romania 3–0 R.Macedonia Iceland 1–0 Ireland Lithuania 1–0 R.Macedonia Lithuania 2–1 Ireland Romania 4–0 Iceland Ireland 0–2 Romania R.Macedonia 2–1 Lithuania qualify as group winners
Group 9 Team 8620203+17208512144+101684222011+9148116619−1348107831−233
Armenia 3–4 Portugal Ukraine 1–0 Portugal Albania 2–4 Portugal Armenia 0–1 Germany Albania 3–2 Armenia Portugal 1–0 Ukraine Portugal 1–2 Germany Albania 0–3 Ukraine Albania 0–4 Germany Germany 2–0 Ukraine Ukraine 7–0 Armenia Ukraine 1–1 Germany Portugal 1–1 Albania Ukraine 1–0 Albania Portugal 8–1 Armenia Germany 1–1 Portugal Armenia 2–0 Albania Germany 7–0 Armenia Armenia 0–1 Ukraine Germany 2–0 Albania
qualify as group winners
Ranking of group winners Team86600144+101866510146+81646501184+141536420187+111496420123+91476411135+81356411126+61316402117+4122633041+312
List of qualifying group winners. Teams 1–7 qualify automatically. Teams 8 & 9 play-off for the eighth spot. Only results between top four teams in group are used.
Qualifying play-off
4–4 on aggregate, Greece won on away goals rule.
See also 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship