Croatia U-19 reach the European Championship semi-finals in Wales after 3:0 against Serbia
The Croatia national under-19 football team qualified for the semi-finals of the 2026 European Championship after a 3:0 victory against Serbia in the final round of Group B. The match was played on 05 July 2026 at The Oval stadium in Caernarfon, and according to the report of the Croatian Football Federation, the goals were scored by Lovro Chelfi in the 9th minute, Dino Godec in the 70th minute and Patrice Čović from a penalty kick in the 87th minute. The team coached by Siniša Oreščanin entered the final group match with a clear but demanding scenario: it needed a convincing victory over Serbia and Italy’s defeat against Ukraine. Both conditions were fulfilled because Ukraine defeated Italy 1:0 in the parallel match, which opened Croatia’s path among the four best national teams of the tournament. According to UEFA’s schedule, Croatia will play against Spain in the semi-final on 8 July at Central Park stadium in Denbigh.
An early goal set the direction of the match in Caernarfon
Croatia reached the crucial victory with a performance in which it showed from the start that it did not depend only on the result of the other match, but first had to complete its own part of the job. According to HNS’s description of the match, a determined start brought the lead already in the 9th minute. The move began through Anđelo Šutalo and Tino Kusanović, and Lovro Chelfi received the ball on the right side and struck with his left foot to make it 1:0. That goal had double value: it brought a lead on the scoreboard and gave Croatia time to control the match in a rhythm that suited it. After falling behind early, Serbia had to look for a response, but the Croatian selection maintained its organisation and prevented the match from turning into an open exchange of attacks.
In the first half of the match, referee Florian Badstübner from Germany showed a yellow card to Đorđe Ranković in the 26th minute, and Croatia went into the break with a narrow lead. Although the 1:0 scoreline kept Serbia in the game, the course of the match was favourable for the team that had the imperative of winning by a larger margin. Croatia continued to look for a second goal, but without unnecessarily opening up space. Such an approach was important because final qualification also depended on goal difference and the overall group standings, after Croatia had previously lost to Ukraine 1:3 and played 0:0 against Italy. In that context, the match in Caernarfon was not only a fight for three points but also for a turnaround in the group standings.
Godec punished the mistake, Čović confirmed progression
The second goal arrived in the 70th minute and was the turning point that made Croatia’s qualification realistically attainable. According to HNS’s report, Serbian goalkeeper Vuk Draškić made a mistake in distributing the ball, Tino Kusanović intercepted the move and found Dino Godec, who rounded the goalkeeper and scored for 2:0. Godec had entered the game one minute earlier instead of Anđelo Šutalo, which proved to be one of the important decisions from the Croatian bench. The goal changed the psychology of the closing stages: Croatia obtained a result that suited its ambitions, while Serbia had to play under increasing pressure. The match report also recorded yellow cards in the second half for Marko Zebić in the 63rd minute, Jovan Milosavljević in the 78th minute and Strahinja Stojković in the 86th minute.
Patrice Čović set the final score at 3:0 in the 87th minute. After Stojković’s foul in the penalty area, the referee awarded a penalty, and Čović converted it confidently. That goal carried special weight because it strengthened Croatia’s position ahead of Italy in the fight for second place in the group. The parallel result from Bangor further increased the importance of Croatia’s victory: Ukraine celebrated 1:0 against Italy and finished the group with a perfect record. In its official results overview, UEFA stated that Ukraine won first place in Group B, while Croatia secured second place and a semi-final by beating Serbia. Italy, despite its earlier victory against Serbia and draw with Croatia, remained third, while Serbia concluded the competition without points.
The outcome of Group B brought a dramatic turnaround
The outcome of Group B was one of the most striking moments of the final stage of the group phase. Croatia opened the tournament with a 1:3 defeat against Ukraine in Bangor, then won a point against Italy in Caernarfon in a goalless match, and ahead of the final round had only one point. According to UEFA’s results overview, Italy beat Serbia 2:0 in the first two rounds and drew with Croatia 0:0, so it entered the last round in a better position. Ukraine, on the other hand, had already shown through victories against Croatia and Serbia that it was the most stable team in the group. Croatia’s progression was therefore not the consequence of just one match, but of a series of results that had to align almost perfectly in the final round.
In the end, the Group B standings were extremely tight behind Ukraine. According to the available tables and UEFA’s official results, Ukraine finished with nine points, Croatia and Italy with four each, and Serbia without points. Croatia and Italy had the same number of points, and their head-to-head match ended 0:0, which meant the overall picture of the group decided. After the 3:0 victory against Serbia, Croatia finished with a goal difference of 4:3 and four goals scored, while Italy, after the defeat to Ukraine, had a goal difference of 2:1 and two goals scored. Croatia thus, according to the available results and ranking criteria, finished ahead of Italy thanks to a higher number of goals scored in the group.
Oreščanin highlighted the character of the generation
After the match, HNS published the reactions of head coach Siniša Oreščanin and the scorer of the first goal, Lovro Chelfi. Oreščanin said that it was a great success for the players, the coaching staff and the people who follow the national team, while emphasising that the team believed in this outcome even after the defeat in the first round. In his statement for HNS, the head coach particularly pointed out that “this generation has something special”, but added that the team must quickly turn its focus to the semi-final. Such a tone matched the context of the evening: celebration was understandable, but the tournament had entered a stage in which the intervals between matches do not allow a long stay on the previous result. Croatia will have only a few days for recovery and tactical preparation for the meeting with Spain.
Lovro Chelfi, who put Croatia in front already in the 9th minute, told HNS that the impressions were fantastic and that the team believed “miracles are possible”. His goal was one of the key moments of the match because it allowed Croatia to impose its rhythm early and shift the pressure onto the opponent. Chelfi emphasised his pride in the performance of the whole team and announced that Croatia would try to give everything it has in the semi-final against Spain. Such statements, although made in an emotional moment immediately after the match, show how important the psychological effect of progression is. A national team that was in a very difficult position after the first round now enters the final stage of the tournament with a victory that can significantly raise its confidence.
Spain enter the semi-final as winners of Group A
Croatia will face Spain in the semi-final, one of the most successful national teams in the history of the European competition for under-19 players. According to UEFA’s schedule, the match is set for 8 July in Denbigh, with kick-off at 17:30 Central European Time, while local time in Wales is one hour earlier. Spain finished Group A with three victories and without conceding a goal. In the first round, it beat Wales 7:0, then Denmark 3:0, and in the final round Germany 4:0. Such a sequence of results shows that Croatia awaits an opponent with an exceptionally strong attacking output and a stable defence.
The second semi-final will be played by Ukraine and Germany, also on 8 July, according to UEFA’s schedule in Wrexham. Thus the four semi-finalists of Wales 2026 became Ukraine and Croatia from Group B and Spain and Germany from Group A. The final stage is played in a tight rhythm because the final is scheduled for 11 July at Racecourse Ground stadium in Wrexham. UEFA stated that the final tournament in Wales is being held from 28 June to 11 July, and the matches are scheduled in Bangor, Caernarfon, Denbigh and Wrexham. For the Croatian selection, that schedule means that after the match in Caernarfon, the focus shifts toward Denbigh and the most demanding test of the tournament.
The qualification also has broader significance because of the U-20 World Cup
Qualification for the semi-finals of the U-19 European Championship has importance that goes beyond the fight for the European title. In the announcement of the final tournament, UEFA stated that the four semi-finalists would represent Europe at the 2027 U-20 World Cup, along with Azerbaijan as one of the hosts and the winner of the additional play-off between the third-placed teams from the groups. Since Croatia, Ukraine, Spain and Germany qualified for the semi-finals, that result has developmental and competitive value for a generation of players born mainly in 2007 and 2008. An appearance on the world stage in the next age category can be an important stage in the transition from junior to senior football. For young players, such tournaments often represent a space in which they prove themselves before the international public, scouts and clubs from different leagues.
Wales is hosting the tournament which, according to UEFA and the Football Association of Wales, is being held in the north of the country and includes eight national teams: Wales, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Serbia, Italy and Ukraine. The Football Association of Wales announced that the competition fits into the celebration of the 150th anniversary of that organisation, and the matches are being played at Racecourse Ground, Bangor City Stadium, The Oval and Central Park. UEFA pointed out that Wales is organising the final tournament of the U-19 European Championship for the first time. In such an environment, Croatia’s qualification among the four best national teams gains additional weight because it was achieved in a group in which both European and world stakes were decided until the final round. The next challenge will be Spain, the team that left the most impressive statistical mark in the group stage, but Croatia enters that match after an evening in which it fulfilled everything it needed for a great turnaround.
Match details
- Match: Serbia – Croatia 0:3
- Competition: UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2026, Group B
- Stadium: The Oval, Caernarfon, Wales
- Referee: Florian Badstübner, Germany
- Scorers: Lovro Chelfi 9’, Dino Godec 70’, Patrice Čović 87’ (p.)
- Yellow cards: Đorđe Ranković 26’, Marko Zebić 63’, Jovan Milosavljević 78’, Strahinja Stojković 86’
- Serbia: Draškić, Stojković, S. Petrović, Hadžimujović, Simić, Milosavljević, Pavlović (Damjanović 46’), Novičić (Mladenović 69’), B. Kostić (Ćirić 46’), Zarić (Subotić 85’), Ranković (Makević 46’)
- Croatia: Kostopeč, Mandić, Zebić, Puljić, Smiljanić (Zrilić 75’), Mikić (Kostelac 85’), Čović, Chelfi (Šimić 85’), Subotić, Šutalo (Godec 69’), Kusanović (Kolarik 85’)
Sources:
- Croatian Football Federation – report from the Serbia – Croatia 0:3 match and match sheet with basic details of the encounter (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – statements by Siniša Oreščanin and Lovro Chelfi after qualification for the semi-finals (link)
- UEFA – official schedule, results, stadiums and semi-final pairings of the 2026 European Under-19 Championship (link)
- UEFA – explanation of the final tournament draw and qualifying significance for the 2027 U-20 World Cup (link)
- Football Association of Wales – information on hosting, stadiums and the context of the tournament in Wales (link)