Spain secured their spot in the U19 Futsal European Championship final this Friday. They defeated Ukraine in a thrilling 7-4 match. What truly stood out was their comeback. The Spanish squad, known as “La Roja,” actually found themselves trailing in the first half.
The action unfolded at the Chisinau arena in Moldova. Spain, with past championships in 2019 and 2022, started strong. Pedro Altaba put them ahead just three minutes in. However, Ukraine quickly turned the tables. Tsap scored at the nine-minute mark, and Klimchuk added another in the 14th minute. This put Spain behind. But they didn’t panic. Roger Garcia equalized in the 15th minute. Lahoz then put “La Roja” back in front a minute later.
The second half saw Spain extend their lead. Pablo Guti found the net in the 24th minute. Nacho Olivares followed up in the 29th. Unai Izquierdo hammered in another goal in the 34th minute. Ukraine’s Shpak scored for his team in the 32nd minute. Oddly, Shpak also scored an own goal four minutes later. Pedro Altaba, who opened the scoring for Spain, unfortunately also netted an own goal in the 39th minute.
Spain boasts a perfect record in the finals of this tournament. They have appeared in every single one since it began, making this their fourth final (2019, 2022, 2023, and the current 2025 edition). Now, they wait. Their opponent will be the winner of the other semi-final. That match features Portugal against Slovenia.
Portugal has its own impressive history in this competition. They claimed the third edition of the European Championship in 2023. That victory happened in Porec, Croatia. Notably, Portugal beat Spain in that 2023 final. The upcoming Portugal-Slovenia game is a repeat of the 2023 semi-final. Portugal won that match 3-2, setting up their championship run.
The U19 Futsal European Championship final is scheduled for Sunday. Kick-off is set for 18:30.