Balkan Youth Championship Albania Under-21 participated in the
Balkan Youth Championship as a succeder of
Under-23 team, in the 1976–78 and 1981 competitions, winning both with finals against
Romania and
Bulgaria. Notably in 1978, the second leg of the final match against Romania was characterized by a large Albania's win 7–1, which is the largest win ever recorded by Albania U-21.
1984 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship In 1978 a
Competition for the European Under-21 teams was created but the Albania Under-21s didn't participated in first 3 editions and debuted in the competition in the
1984s Championship where they managed to qualify for the first and only time in their history although they were competing for the first time in such tournament. The historic event was the first time any Albanian squad qualified for a
Europe or
World Championship, and only the fifth time any Albanian squad qualified for the major championships. To this day the team that qualified for that competition are still regarded as the most successful team in Albanian football history. In the qualifying stage they were drawn in a very tough group which included the
West Germany,
Turkey and
Austria. Albania U21 managed to qualify without losing a single game winning both home-away versus Austria (1–2 away & 3–0 home) & Turkey (both 1–0) and managing two very good draws against one of the biggest and best footballing nations, West Germany (both 1–1), heading the group with 10 points, 1 above West Germany. Albania played the quarter finals against
Italy, against which it lost twice 0–1 both home and away as Italy advanced to the semifinals losing against
England, the eventual champions.
1986–1994 In the
1986 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania came last in group after Poland and Greece, and could not qualify. In the
1988 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania came again last in group after Spain, Romania and Austria. In the
1990 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania came last in group after Sweden, England and Poland. In the
1992 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship managed to precede Iceland as last in the group, but was preceded by Czechoslovakia, France and Spain. In the
qualifiers of the
1994 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania preceded bottom team Republic of Ireland, but was preceded by Spain, Germany and Denmark.
1996–2002 In the
1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Albania did not participate. In the
qualifiers of the
1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania left behind Armenia, but had to trail in the final rankings Germany, Ukraine, and Portugal. In the
qualifiers of the
2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania trailed Greece, Norway, Georgia, Latvia, and Slovenia and closed at the bottom of the group. In the
qualifiers of the
2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania came again last behind England, Greece, Germany, and Finland.
2004–2007 In the
qualifiers of the
2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania had the best result since
Euro '84, when it had won the group, as it left two teams behind (Republic of Ireland and Georgia), but was preceded by Switzerland and Russia, and thus failed to qualify to the main tournament. In the
qualifiers of the
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania left behind itself Kazakhstan, but was preceded by Denmark, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, and Georgia. In the
qualifiers of the
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, in a 3 teams group, Albania came last behind Spain and Slovakia and failed to qualify.
2009–2013 In the
qualifiers of the
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania was fourth out of 6 teams in the final ranking, leaving behind the Faroe Islands and Azerbaijan, but trailing behind Italy, Croatia and Greece. In the
qualifiers of the
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania left again behind Azerbaijan but trailed Scotland, Belarus, and Austria in the final rankings. In the
qualifiers of the
2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania came last trailing behind Russia, Portugal, Poland, and Moldova. However, as a consolation for the first time an Albanian footballer,
Armando Sadiku was the top goalscorer of the group. Albania drew in Russia against the famous hosts during that tournament, a noticeable fact. Albania were also able to draw against Portugal in
Durrës with 2–2 during this qualifying. Albania suffered close loses against Poland in
Grudziądz with 4–3 and to Russia with 0–1 in Durrës respectively.
2015–2019 In the
qualification in
Group 4 Albania would finish in last place. They were able to beat
Hungary with 0–2 away from home. Albania would also beat notable
Austria with 1–3 away from home in the
Liebenauer Stadium in
Graz. As a fact Albanian won for the first time in their history more matches away than at home in an Under-21 qualification. In the following
2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group 4. Albania finished fourth leaving
Hungary and
Liechtenstein but trailing behind
Greece,
Israel and eventual Group winners
Portugal. securing 12 points in the progress. Albania were able to win three matches in this qualifying. They beat
Liechtenstein with 2-0 and away from home with the same result. As well as beating
Hungary in
Elbasan with 2–1 in fact. They drew three times once against
Israel in
Elbasan with 1-1 and away to
Hungary with 2-2 and in the derby at home against
Greece with 0:0. ==Competitive record==