Finland national under-21 football team
| Nickname(s) | Pikkuhuuhkajat (The Little Eagle-Owls)[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Finland | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Mika Lehkosuo | ||
| FIFA code | FIN | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
| Finland 1–3 Sweden (Vaasa, Finland; 11 August 1976) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Finland 6–0 Armenia (Turku, Finland; 21 November 2023) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| England 8–1 Finland (Hull, England; 12 October 1977) | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2009) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2009, 2025) | ||
The Finland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Finland.
The team qualified for the UEFA Euro U21 Championship final tournament for the first time in 2009, under head coach Markku Kanerva. 15 years later, coached by Mika Lehkosuo, they qualified for the 2025 UEFA Euro U21 Championship tournament in Slovakia, for the second time in the nation's history, after defeating Norway in the qualification play-offs.
UEFA European Championship Record
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Qualification Campaign | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-1976 UEFA Under-23 European championships | |||||||||||||||
| 1972 | did not qualify | 1972 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | |||||||
| 1974 | 1974 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||
| 1976 | 1976 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||
| Since 1978 UEFA Under-21 European championships | |||||||||||||||
| 1978 | did not qualify | 1978 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 14 | |||||||
| 1980 | 1980 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||
| 1982 | 1982 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | ||||||||
| 1984 | 1984 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||||||||
| 1986 | 1986 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 1988 | 1988 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 1990 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | ||||||||
| 1992 | 1992 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 13 | ||||||||
| 1994 | 1994 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 13 | ||||||||
| 1996 | 1996 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 16 | ||||||||
| 1998 | 1998 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 10 | ||||||||
| 2000 | 2000 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||
| 2002 | 2002 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 20 | ||||||||
| 2004 | 2004 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 9 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 2006 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 16 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||
| 2009 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | Squad | 2009 (PO) | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| 2011 | did not qualify | 2011 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 4 | |||||||
| 2013 | 2013 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 14 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 2015 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 10 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2017 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 10 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2019 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 21 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2021 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 15 | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2023 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 13 | ||||||||
| 2025 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | Squad | 2025 (PO) | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 11 |
| 2027 | To be determined | 2027 | To be determined | ||||||||||||
2009 UEFA Euro Under-21 qualification
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 19 |
| Denmark | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 16 |
| Scotland | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 6 | +11 | 16 |
| Slovenia | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 5 |
| Lithuania | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 18 | −16 | 1 |
2023 UEFA Euro Under-21 qualification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 11 | +15 | 24 | Final tournament | — | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Croatia | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 10 | +15 | 22 | Play-offs | 3–2 | — | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 3 | Finland | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 13 | +5 | 19 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Austria | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 13 | +9 | 16 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–3 | — | 6–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 24 | −12 | 7 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–3 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 6 | Estonia | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 32 | −32 | 0 | 0–5 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 0–5 | — |
2025 UEFA Euro Under-21 qualification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romania | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 10 | +13 | 22 | Final tournament | — | 1–0 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Finland | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 8 | +13 | 20 | Play-offs | 2–0 | — | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 6–0 | |
| 3 | Switzerland | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 18 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 4–2 | 5–0 | ||
| 4 | Albania | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 17 | −5 | 16 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 5 | Montenegro | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 7 | 2–6 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 6 | Armenia | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 21 | −19 | 2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | — |
2027 UEFA Euro Under-21 qualification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | +15 | 15 | Final tournament | — | 2–1 | 31 Mar '26 | 6 Oct '26 | 3–0 | 7–0 | |
| 2 | Finland | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 10 | Play-offs | 25 Sep '26 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | 31 Mar '26 | 7–0 | |
| 3 | Kosovo | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 8 | 1–3 | 6 Oct '26 | — | 27 Mar '26 | 30 Sep '26 | 7–0 | ||
| 4 | Romania | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0–2 | 30 Sep '26 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 31 Mar '26 | ||
| 5 | Cyprus | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 3 | 27 Mar '26 | 0–5 | 0–4 | 25 Sep '26 | — | 6 Oct '26 | ||
| 6 | San Marino | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | −28 | 0 | 30 Sep '26 | 26 Mar '26 | 25 Sep '26 | 0–2 | 0–5 | — |
Current squad
The following players have been called up in the squad for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Romania and Kosovo on 14 and 18 November 2025, respectively.[2]
- Caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 after the match against Kosovo.
- Players in bold have been called up or have played at least one full international match with senior national team.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Jaaso Jantunen | 31 January 2005 | 5 | 0 | SC Freiburg II |
| 12 | GK | Aleksi Piispa | 18 December 2005 | 0 | 0 | VPS |
| 23 | GK | Oliver Heino | 30 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | Haka |
| 2 | DF | Arttu Lötjönen | 28 January 2004 | 5 | 0 | KuPS |
| 3 | DF | Akseli Puukko | 24 August 2006 | 2 | 0 | Bologna |
| 4 | DF | Rony Jansson | 10 January 2004 | 16 | 0 | Kalmar |
| 5 | DF | Samuli Miettinen | 16 June 2004 | 6 | 0 | KuPS |
| 13 | DF | Kaius Simojoki | 21 March 2006 | 0 | 0 | HJK |
| 15 | DF | Oskari Väistö | 15 September 2005 | 1 | 0 | SJK |
| 16 | DF | Dario Naamo | 14 May 2005 | 13 | 0 | Dundee United |
| 22 | DF | Miska Ylitolva | 23 May 2004 | 23 | 2 | HJK |
| DF | Tomas Galvez | 28 January 2005 | 14 | 1 | Cambuur | |
| 6 | MF | Matias Siltanen | 29 March 2007 | 5 | 1 | Djurgårdens IF |
| 8 | MF | Pyry Mentu | 1 November 2006 | 4 | 1 | HJK |
| 10 | MF | Luka Hyryläinen | 25 August 2004 | 18 | 1 | 1. FC Magdeburg |
| 11 | MF | Marius Söderbäck | 6 February 2004 | 5 | 2 | Ilves |
| 14 | MF | Tuomas Pippola | 12 October 2004 | 1 | 0 | Sogndal |
| 17 | MF | Otto Ruoppi | 31 January 2006 | 5 | 3 | KuPS |
| 18 | MF | Niilo Kujasalo | 17 March 2004 | 2 | 0 | IFK Mariehamn |
| 19 | MF | Liam Möller | 21 December 2004 | 6 | 0 | HJK |
| 20 | MF | Otso Liimatta | 10 July 2004 | 27 | 8 | Famalicão |
| 7 | FW | Juho Talvitie | 25 March 2005 | 21 | 3 | NAC Breda |
| 9 | FW | Onni Helén | 19 January 2006 | 2 | 0 | Sogndal |
| 21 | FW | Lauri Laine | 30 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | SJK |
| FW | Vincent Ulundu | 25 March 2005 | 2 | 0 | Ilves | |
Recent callups
The following players have also been called up to the Finland under-21 squad and remain eligible:
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Johannes Viitala | 10 August 2006 | 0 | 0 | SJK | v. Spain, 14 October 2025 |
| GK | Eero Vuorjoki | 9 July 2006 | 0 | 0 | Inter Turku | v. Cyprus, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Daniel Armstrong | 24 March 2005 | 2 | 0 | Atalanta U23 | v. Cyprus, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Juho Lähteenmäki | 15 June 2006 | 2 | 1 | FC Nordsjælland | v. Cyprus, 9 September 2025 |
| DF | Lucas von Hellens | 5 March 2005 | 2 | 0 | Gnistan | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| DF | Joona Kuismala | 23 November 2005 | 1 | 0 | MP | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Samuel Pasanen | 31 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | KuPS | v. Romania, 14 November 2025 INJ |
| MF | Matias Ritari | 15 July 2005 | 1 | 0 | HJK | v. Spain, 14 October 2025 |
| MF | Altti Hellemaa | 25 July 2004 | 0 | 0 | Elfsborg | v. Cyprus, 9 September 2025 WD |
| MF | Jimi Tauriainen | 8 March 2004 | 0 | 0 | Chelsea | v. San Marino, 4 September 2025 INJ |
| MF | Marlo Hyvönen | 2 May 2005 | 2 | 0 | HJK Klubi 04 | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Daniel Rökman | 20 March 2004 | 1 | 0 | PK Keski-Uusimaa | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Dren Terrnava | 21 May 2005 | 1 | 0 | Perugia | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| MF | Ville Vuorinen | 21 February 2005 | 2 | 0 | HJK | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| FW | Adrian Svanbäck | 8 June 2004 | 2 | 4 | Häcken | v. Romania, 14 November 2025 INJ |
| FW | David Ezeh | 13 February 2006 | 2 | 1 | HJK | v. Cyprus, 9 September 2025 |
| FW | Danila Bulgakov | 20 January 2005 | 2 | 0 | SJK | v. Lithuania, 9 June 2024 |
| FW | Roni Hudd | 20 January 2005 | 2 | 1 | HJK | v. Armenia, 21 November 2023 |
| ||||||
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mika Lehkosuo |
| Assistant coach | Matti Lähitie |
| Goalkeeping coach | Eemeli Reponen |
| Video analyst | Robert Nygård |
| Fitness coach | Mika Lähderinne |
Past squads
See also
- Finland national football team
- Finland national under-19 football team
- Finland national under-18 football team
- Finland national under-17 football team
- Finland national under-16 football team
- Finland national under-21 football team at UEFA web pages
References
- ^ "Pikkuhuuhkajat". Archived from the original on 2017-11-20. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
- ^ "Pikkuhuuhkajat nimetty Turun EM-karsintaotteluihin marraskuussa". 5 November 2025.
- ^ "Pikkuhuuhkajien taustatiimi uudistuu" (in Finnish). Finnish Football Association. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Finland national under-21 football team.