With all of the publicity surrounding the Club World Cup, the U21 European Championship, which starts a few days before the CWC, has gone under the radar a little.
Runners-up in the 2023 final, Spain kick off proceedings against host nation Slovakia, whilst holders England entertain the Czech Republic a day later, before matches against Germany and Slovenia will complete their assignments in Group B.
The Three Lions, under the tutelage of Lee Carsley, will be looking to emulate the Dave Sexton teams of 1982 and 1984 in winning back-to-back titles.
Everything you need to know about the tournament.
Eve-of-tournament boost for the FA
A boost for the squad and for the FA is the eve-of-tournament renewal of Carsley's contract.
“I’m delighted to extend my time with the FA. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a young, talented group and help develop them on the international stage," Carsley noted after he put pen to paper on a deal taking him through to the conclusion of the 2027 U21 European Championship.
“While the future is exciting, our immediate priority is this summer’s UEFA U21 Euros in Slovakia."
Since the final in July 2023, a match won by Curtis Jones in first-half injury time, England have lost just twice: 3-2 against Ukraine in October 2023 and 5-3 against France in March this year.
Highlights in between have included a 4-2 win over Portugal, two 7-0 routs of Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, and a 9-1 annihilation of Serbia.
Pre-tournament training ahead of squad selection
Carsley and the FA are fortunate, of course, that they can select from an incredible pool of youngsters.
Pre-tournament training will narrow down the names to a final 23-man squad that will be announced on Friday, June 6th, and some of the names under consideration will be familiar to many.
For example, Jobe Bellingham is beginning to step out of his older brother's shadow. The Sunderland man helped his team to Premier League promotion via the playoffs, is set to sign for Borussia Dortmund and will almost certainly have a big role to play for his country.
Four goals and three assists for the Black Cats in 2024/25 isn't the best return, but one has to delve a little deeper to understand Bellingham's influence.
For a start, his 85.7% passing accuracy was one of the best in the Sunderland squad, whilst his 244 ball recoveries were also at the top end.
Winning more than 50% of his tackles and also having the ability to seamlessly change through the gears and go box-to-box when required are all elements of his play that England will rely on over the course of the next few weeks.
Elliot Anderson the perfect foil for Bellingham
Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton would've been an excellent foil for Bellingham in midfield, but he's had to withdraw from the tournament through injury.
Depending on the route that Carsley decides to go down, he could do worse than giving Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson the responsibility.
The 22-year-old was involved in a colossal 462 one-on-one duels last season, evidencing that he's a player who likes to get his hands dirty in the heat of battle.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson during the Premier League match against Chelsea at the City Ground, NottinghamČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Wayne Tuckwell
For every team that likes to play an attractive, front-foot style, they still need a player who's willing to break up play and do the 'water carrying' when required.
Anderson is much more than that, however, and his all-round skill set has been a major factor in Forest getting into Europe this season.
25 shots from inside the box and 24 from outside hint at how often the player will get forward as a supplementary attacking presence, and his 93.2% pass completion rate goes to show how valuable he is when required to keep hold of the ball and get his team up the pitch.
Delap the go-to guy up front
In attack, though Tottenham's Dane Scarlett remains a relative unknown at the moment, he surely would've made an impact in the tournament, but he, too, has had to withdraw.
On current form, though, surely Carsley can't be looking any further than Liam Delap to lead the line.
12 goals in an Ipswich team that only managed 36 in the Premier League in the entire 24/25 season, and who won just four games, indicates that the 22-year-old has hit a real sweet spot in terms of what he can bring to the party.
A 60.4% shooting accuracy can't be ignored, and even talk of a transfer elsewhere, with Chelsea apparently the most likely, shouldn't detract from the job in hand.
Ethan Nwaneri is another to have proven his worth to his team last season, and the experience gained in the Arsenal first team is guaranteed to be of benefit to the talented teen.
It wasn't just the nine goals or two assists, but the personal growth that was self-evident to anyone watching a Gunners game last season.
Premier League experience in defence
Defensively, Newcastle's Tino Livramento and Liverpool's Jarell Quansah are the standout names, with both looking to win another title this season.
The latter won 14 of his 21 tackles attempted last season, made 15 interceptions as well as 28 headed clearances, recovered the ball on 59 separate occasions and won 52 duels.
Livramento's 41 tackles won from 61 attempted gives him the same 66.7% success rating as Quansah.
Able to get forward more than his contemporary, an 87.4% pass accuracy down the channels is certain to come in handy in games that need players to unlock tight defences.
Despite the injury withdrawals, Carsley still has a wealth of talent at his disposal as can be seen just by taking a look at a handful of players, and England's status as pre-tournament favourites is clearly well deserved.
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