| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 March – 27 October |
| Teams | 8 (from 1 confederation) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |
|
| Runners-up |
|
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 14 |
| Goals scored | 38 (2.71 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
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| Best player |
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The 1990 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which spanned two years (1988–90), had 30 entrants. San Marino competed for the first time. USSR U-21s won the competition.
The 30 national teams were divided into eight groups (six groups of 4 + two groups of 3). The group winners played off against each other on a two-legged home-and-away basis until the winner was decided. There was no finals tournament or 3rd-place playoff.
Bulgaria qualify as group winners
Sweden qualify as group winners
Soviet Union qualify as group winners
West Germany qualify as group winners