Lee Carsley’s England Under-21s team will face Spain in the final of the Under-21s European Championship in Georgia on Saturday.
Furthermore, UK viewers will have the opportunity to watch the game live on terrestrial TV, Channel 4.
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Channel 4 stepped in after the Football Association expressed disappointment that no major TV channel had chosen to broadcast the tournament.
England’s games were previously available only through UEFA’s streaming service.
Channel 4 already holds rights to England coverage, including the senior team’s European Championship qualifiers.
The coverage of the Under-21s final will be handled by regular presenter Jules Breach and commentator Steve Bower.
Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer, Ian Katz, expressed delight that viewers will be able to witness England’s Under-21s attempt to make history against Spain.
He said: “Channel 4 has brought a number of historic sporting moments to a free to air audience in recent years and we’re delighted that the nation will be able to watch England’s Under-21s as they attempt to make their own bit of history against Spain on Saturday.
”The Young Lions final will be part of a bumper weekend of sport on Channel 4 with live coverage of qualifying for the British GP earlier on Saturday and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday.”
Lee Carsley’s team has been exceptional throughout the tournament, not conceding a single goal.
They progressed from their group by defeating Israel, Czechia, and Germany 2-0, followed by a 1-0 victory against Portugal in the quarter-finals and a 3-0 win over Israel in the semi-finals.
Morgan Gibbs-White, the over-age player from Nottingham Forest, has been a standout performer, alongside talented individuals such as Anthony Gordon from Newcastle, Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal, and Curtis Jones from Liverpool.
After the semi-final triumph, Gibbs-White expressed his elation, acknowledging the team’s hard work over the past two years.
He emphasized that there is still work to be done and that the team has the right mentality and ability to succeed.
“It’s hard to put into words,” said Gibbs-White after the semi-final win. “We’ve been working for the past two years just to get to this moment. It’s not an achievement yet, we still have loads of work to do.
“I feel like we have a good together team and the right team that can go all the way.”
Lee Carsley praised the young players for their different mentality compared to his generation.
He said: “These young players’ mentality is different to my generation. Curtis gives the ball away and just wants to get on it again, he doesn’t even think about it. Morgan is the same.
He highlighted the self-belief and determination of players like Curtis Jones and Morgan Gibbs-White, emphasizing the importance of their confidence and creativity on the pitch.
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He added: “It’s such a skill to have, that self-belief. The players know we believe in them, we want them to do well. It’s important that he keeps getting on it, he keeps creating chances.”
The Under-21s final will be part of a thrilling weekend of sports coverage on Channel 4, including live coverage of qualifying for the British Grand Prix and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday.
