| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Spain |
| Dates | 12 March – 31 May |
| Teams | 8 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Italy (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Spain |
| Third place |  France |
| Fourth place |  Scotland |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 12 |
| Goals scored | 28 (2.33 per match) |
| Attendance | 197,229 (16,436 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Raúl (3 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Fabio Cannavaro |
← 1994 1998 → | |
The 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which spanned two years (1994–96), had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total. Italy U-21s won the competition for the third consecutive time.