Young Lions to host Portugal and France

England men’s under-21s will a double-header in Bristol this November, as they host France and Portugal at Ashton Gate Stadium.

Lee Carsley’s Young Lions secured their qualification for next summer’s UEFA U21 EURO Finals in Albania and Serbia earlier this month, as they topped their group table with a win over Kazakhstan and a draw with Slovakia.

And as they prepare to defend their title for a third successive time, England will face opposition from two other teams who will be challenging them at the tournament next June and July.

First up will be Portugal, who England will play on Friday 13 November (7.30pm GMT), before the French arrive three days later on Monday 16 November (7.30pm GMT).

It’s a return to Ashton Gate for Carsley’s team who played there as recently as October 2024 when they beat Azerbaijan by 7-0 in their qualifying stage for the 2025 U21 EUROs.

Prior to that, the MU21s last visit to Ashton Gate saw a 1-1 draw with Poland in March 2019 when Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring. Their previous game there before that came back in August 2007 when Stuart Pearce’s side drew 1-1 with Romania. Matt Derbyshire opened the scoring that night, before an unfortunate Joe Hart own goal saw the game finish all square.

Speaking about the two games next month, Carsley said: "These are exactly the types of games we want for our players. To face two of Europe's strongest nations in Portugal and France gives us a fantastic opportunity to test ourselves in preparation for next summer's finals.

"Playing both matches at Ashton Gate is something we're really looking forward to. We've always received great support whenever we've taken the team around the country and we're excited to bring the MU21s back to Bristol."

Tickets are on sale now, at the following prices and access points.

Adults: £15 or £10 for Bristol City FC season ticket holders and members

Concessions (65+ and U19s): £7.50 or £5 for Bristol City FC season ticket holders and members

Level Access: Accessible bays available and free of charge essential companion tickets available to apply for via the following link: Bristol Sport Digital Access Pass

Group tickets (ten or more): Contact the Bristol City FC ticket office to purchase on supporterservices@bristol-sport co.uk or 0117 963 0600 (Option 1 for ticketing)

England Football Accredited Clubs are entitled to up to 15 complimentary tickets by filling out the attached forms:
England U21 v Portugal U21 – Fill in form
England U21 v France U21 – Fill in form

Hospitality options for the fixture can be explored by contacting hospitality@ashtongate.co.uk