NYON (Switzerland): UEFA has called off the under-19 European Championship in men’s football that was twice postponed and pushed into 2021.
Europe's governing football body says the cancellation in Northern Ireland is “due to the current unresolved epidemiological situation in Europe and resulting travelling difficulties.”
The decision sends high-ranked England, France, Italy, Netherlands and Portugal direct to the 2021 under-20 World Cup representing Europe.
That FIFA tournament is due to be hosted in Indonesia and kick off in May.
Plans for the European under-19 event in Northern Ireland kept changing as the coronavirus pandemic continued to affect soccer.