U21 friendlies: TV channel, kick-off times and live streaming in the UK

Under-21 friendlies are the least visible step in international football, and yet that is where careers are decided. A player at this level has left the youth teams behind and does not yet have the senior side: he plays to show he can go up, knowing the senior manager sometimes watches and sometimes does not. Some will take the step within the year, others will drop back to the youth ranks, and many will stay there until the age limit without ever going higher. For the viewer these games carry no league stake but they carry a personal one, and it shows in the way they are played: players take chances here they would not take in a match that counts. The fixtures are played alongside the international windows, often midweek and in the early evening.

Also known as: Amicaux-Espoirs