The group was originally scheduled to be played in home-and-away round-robin format between 20 March 2019 and 13 October 2020. Under the original format, the group winners and the best runners-up among all nine groups (not counting results against the sixth-placed team) would qualify directly for the final tournament, while the remaining eight runners-up would advance to the play-offs.[2]
On 17 March 2020, all matches were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] On 17 June 2020, UEFA announced that the qualifying group stage would be extended and end on 17 November 2020, while the play-offs, originally scheduled to be played in November 2020, would be cancelled. Instead, the group winners and the five best runners-up among all nine groups (not counting results against the sixth-placed team) would qualify for the final tournament.[4][5][6]
^The match between Portugal and Belarus was originally scheduled on 8 September 2020, 17:30 WEST, at Cidade do Futebol, Oeiras, but was postponed due to several players of the Belarus team testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.[9] It was rescheduled to 12 November 2020.
^ abcdeAll matches originally scheduled to be played in March 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.[3] These matches were subsequently rescheduled to be played in November 2020.
^ abcThe match between Gibraltar and Norway, originally scheduled to be played on 13 November 2020, was cancelled due to tighter restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic announced by the Norwegian government.[10][11] The matches between Norway and Belarus and between Gibraltar and Cyprus, originally scheduled to be played on 18 November 2020, were also cancelled, as none of these three matches had any impact on which team would qualify for the final tournament.[12][13]
^The match between Norway and Belarus was originally scheduled on 13 October 2020, 19:00 CET, at Marienlyst Stadion, Drammen, but was postponed due to several players of the Belarus team testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.[14] It was rescheduled to 18 November 2020, before it was cancelled.
^"2019-21 UEFA European Under-21 Championship regulations" (PDF). UEFA.
^ ab"COVID-19: latest updates on UEFA competitions". UEFA.com. 17 March 2020.
^"UEFA competitions to resume in August". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
^"Updated UEFA competitions calendar". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
^"Under-21 EURO: New format and schedule announced". UEFA.com. 17 June 2020.
^"UEFA meets general secretaries of member associations". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
^"UEFA Super Cup to test partial return of spectators". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
^"U-21. Португалия – Беларусь. Матч перенесен". Football Federation of Belarus. 9 September 2020.
^"UEFA confirm Gibraltar U21 v Norway U21 is official cancelled". Gibraltar Football Association. 6 November 2020.
^"Aldersbestemte landslagssamlinger utsatt". Norwegian Football Federation. 6 November 2020.
^"Gibraltar U21 v Cyprus U21 also cancelled by UEFA". Gibraltar Football Association. 12 November 2020.
^"Ακυρώθηκε ο αγώνας της Εθνικής Ελπίδων στο Γιβραλτάρ, την Κυριακή ο αγώνας στην Πορτογαλία". Cyprus Football Association. 12 November 2020.
^"U-21. Норвегия - Беларусь. Матч перенесён". Football Federation of Belarus. 13 October 2020.