The qualifying groups for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where possible, matched the 7- and 6-team World Cup 2006 qualifying groups of the senior European teams. The exceptions were where Andorra, Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, and Northern Ireland were involved; none of whom entered an under-21 team. Germany, whose seniors did not need to qualify for the World Cup were added to one of the 5-team groups created by the absence of the aforementioned nations.