The team will travel to Portugal in March to face the reigning European champions and Poland, led by newly-appointed head coach, Luís Mendonça.
England Futsal’s men’s national team have been drawn in Main Round Group 6 of the 2027 UEFA U19 Futsal EURO qualifiers against holders Portugal, Poland, and the winner of preliminary round Group C.
The draw took place in Nyom, Switzerland earlier this month, and will see 37 nations competing for seven spots in the final tournament, alongside hosts Kazakhstan, which will be played in Astana between 26th September and 3rd October 2027.
Who are our opponents?
Group 6 is to be hosted by the reigning European champions, Portugal, who won the 2025 edition of this competition with a 3-2 final victory over Spain in Moldova.
A record-equalling second title.
Poland missed out on the 2025 finals after losing 4-1 to Czech Republic in Main Round Group 6 but will present a stern test, winning their previous three Main Round fixtures, dating back to an 8-1 victory over Moldova in March 2023.
Our fourth Group 6 opponent will be determined by the winner of preliminary round Group C in January 2027, which is contested by Germany, Malta, North Macedonia and Israel.
Only the winner of Group 6 will book a spot for the finals in Kazakhstan.
The full main round draw for the UEFA U19 Futsal EURO
IMAGE: UEFA Futsal
How have we fared in the Main Round previously?
March will be the first time our U19 national team have taken to court since April 2025.
A tough Group 2 draw in Hungary saw us lose convincingly to joint-record two-time winners Spain, and the hosts, before goals from Comrie Smith (2) and Tyler Cook, earned us a point in the final game against Finland, after conceding a heartbreaking 39th minute equaliser.
Before that, in the 2023 edition in Lithuania, Matthew Barber and Josh Nathan strikes had secured an impressive 2-2 draw against Italy, while a Bobby Badham brace and Oliver Kaye goal were not quite enough to prevent a 4-3 defeat to Czech Republic.
Now, our U19s performance group begins preparations for national team selection to fly to Portugal in March, with players from our North and South hubs attending six more camps before the end of 2026.
Luís Mendonça: Meet our new Head Coach
Ahead of the draw, we invited applications for a head coach to lead our U19s into this competition.
After a competitive recruitment process, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Luís Mendonça to the position of head coach.
He will be supported by assistant coach, Mark Simmons.
Name: Luís Mendonça |
Age: 41 |
Nationality: Portuguese
Image: Tracey Davies Photography (@traceydaviesphotography)
How does it feel be named England U19 Head Coach?
“It’s a huge honour and a proud moment to be named England U19 head coach.
Representing a country is something special, and having the opportunity to work with some of the best young talent in England is incredibly exciting.
I’m looking forward to the challenge, building a strong team identity and helping the players develop and perform at the highest level.
It’s a role I’m really looking forward to getting started in.”
Luís’ background
Luís’ journey in futsal began in his home country of Portugal, specifically the city of Porto, on the north west coast.
His playing career inspired a move towards academic education to support a desire to work in futsal.
This provided a strong foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of performance.
Since moving to England, Luís’ coaching career has consisted primarily of working with Cambridge Futsal Club across Tier 1 and 2 of the National Futsal Series and, most recently in 2025, becoming co-lead coach of our U17 & U19 Southern Performance Pathway Hub, where he has worked closely with Mark Simmons, who will be taking on the assistant coach role.
“This experience has allowed me to work with talented young players in the England pathway and has been an important step in my development as a coach.”
What’s your coaching philosophy?
“My philosophy is built around developing players, creating a strong team identity and establishing an competitive environment where everyone is challenged to improve and encouraged to express themselves.
I want us to play with intensity, intelligence and courage, with a clear understanding of our principles and fundamentals of the game.
I want the players develop the confidence to make decisions and perform under pressure.
Ultimately, the aim is to create a team that is competitive, ambitious and united in what we’re trying to achieve.”
How excited are you about the group of players you have to select from for Portugal?
“I’m really excited about the talent we have available.
There are some very promising players coming through, and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work with this group and help them reach their potential.
One of our biggest priorities will be bringing that individual talent together to create a strong, competitive team.
International futsal presents different challenges, and we want to make sure we’re ready to embrace those.
There will be competition for places, which is a positive, and we want every player to feel they have an opportunity to contribute.
I’m excited to see how the group comes together and what we can achieve collectively in Portugal.”
What will preparations look like?
“Our preparations will focus on building a clear identity, developing our tactical understanding and making sure we’re ready for the demands of international competition.
We’ll work on the technical and tactical details of our game, but equally importantly, we’ll focus on team cohesion, communication and establishing the standards we expect from one another.
Time together at international level is always valuable, so we’ll need to make every session count and ensure the players understand their roles and responsibilities.
The aim is to arrive to Portugal well prepared, confident in our approach and united as a group, ready to compete and represent England with pride.”
