This article features the 1986 UEFA European Under-18 Championship qualifying stage. Matches were played 1984 through 1986. Eight group winners qualified for the main tournament in Yugoslavia.

It was the first time only eight teams could enter the main tournament, which means the qualifying stage became more extensive. Qualifications had been organised for several years, but these were on a smaller scale, since there was still room for sixteen teams in the main tournament.

Group 1

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Scotland	6	5	1	0	12	3	+9	11
Republic of Ireland	6	3	1	2	6	5	+1	7
England	6	3	0	3	14	10	+4	6
Iceland	6	0	0	6	4	18	–14	0

	England	5–3	Iceland
	England	1–2	Scotland
	Republic of Ireland	1–0	England
	Scotland	1–1	Republic of Ireland
	Iceland	0–2	Scotland
	Iceland	1–2	Republic of Ireland
	Iceland	0–5	England
	Republic of Ireland	2–0	Iceland
	Scotland	2–0	Iceland
	Republic of Ireland	0–1	Scotland
	England	2–0	Republic of Ireland
	Scotland	4–1	England

Group 2

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Belgium	6	2	4	0	11	7	+4	8
Netherlands	6	3	2	1	11	9	+2	8
Wales	6	2	2	2	9	8	+1	6
Northern Ireland	6	0	2	4	5	12	–7	2

	Belgium	3–1	Netherlands
	Northern Ireland	1–2	Wales
	Wales	0–1	Netherlands
	Netherlands	2–1	Northern Ireland
	Belgium	0–0	Northern Ireland
	Wales	3–3	Belgium
	Netherlands	2–2	Belgium
	Wales	3–0	Northern Ireland
	Northern Ireland	1–1	Belgium
	Netherlands	1–1	Wales
	Belgium	2–0	Wales
	Northern Ireland	2–4	Netherlands

Group 3

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Yugoslavia	6	4	1	1	21	4	+17	9
France	6	3	3	0	20	3	+17	9
Spain	6	2	2	2	7	8	–1	6
Luxembourg	6	0	0	6	1	34	–33	0

	Yugoslavia	3–0	Spain
	Luxembourg	0–4	France
	Yugoslavia	8–0	Luxembourg
	Yugoslavia	1–2	France
	Spain	3–0	Luxembourg
	France	1–1	Spain
	Luxembourg	0–1	Spain
	Luxembourg	1–6	Yugoslavia
	Spain	1–1	France
	France	0–0	Yugoslavia
	Spain	1–3	Yugoslavia
	France	12–0	Luxembourg

Group 4

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Italy	6	5	0	1	19	4	+15	10
Austria	6	4	0	2	18	10	+8	8
Portugal	6	3	0	3	12	8	+4	6
Malta	6	0	0	6	0	27	–27	0

	Portugal	0–2	Italy
	Malta	0–2	Portugal
	Portugal	0–3	Austria
	Malta	0–5	Italy
	Austria	3–0	Malta
	Austria	2–1	Italy
	Portugal	6–0	Malta
	Austria	1–4	Portugal
	Italy	4–0	Malta
	Italy	2–0	Portugal
	Malta	0–7	Austria
	Italy	5–2	Austria

Group 5

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
West Germany	6	6	0	0	15	2	+13	12
Switzerland	5	1	2	2	5	7	–2	4
Poland	5	0	3	2	3	8	–5	3
Denmark	6	0	3	3	6	12	–6	3

	Switzerland	3–1	Denmark
	West Germany	2–0	Switzerland
	Switzerland	1–1	Poland
	Denmark	1–3	West Germany
	Poland	0–2	West Germany
	Poland	0–0	Denmark
	Denmark	1–1	Switzerland
	Switzerland	0–2	West Germany
	Denmark	2–2	Poland
	West Germany	3–1	Denmark
	West Germany	3–0	Poland
	Poland	not played	Switzerland

Group 6

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
East Germany	6	4	2	0	7	2	+5	10
Sweden	6	3	2	1	8	3	+5	8
Finland	6	1	1	4	5	10	–5	3
Norway	6	1	1	4	3	8	–5	3

	Norway	0–1	Sweden
	Finland	0–1	Norway
	East Germany	1–0	Norway
	East Germany	2–1	Sweden
	Finland	0–1	East Germany
	Sweden	1–1	Finland
	Sweden	1–0	Norway
	Norway	1–4	Finland
	East Germany	2–0	Finland
	Finland	0–4	Sweden
	Norway	1–1	East Germany
	Sweden	0–0	East Germany

Group 7

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Bulgaria	6	4	1	1	19	6	+13	9
Hungary	6	4	0	2	10	3	+7	8
Greece	6	3	1	2	11	12	–1	7
Cyprus	6	0	0	6	5	24	–19	0

	Cyprus	1–4	Hungary
	Cyprus	1–5	Bulgaria
	Cyprus	1–4	Greece
	Bulgaria	0–2	Hungary
	Hungary	2–0	Greece
	Bulgaria	5–1	Greece
	Greece	2–2	Bulgaria
	Hungary	0–1	Bulgaria
	Greece	3–2	Cyprus
	Greece	1–0	Hungary
	Bulgaria	6–0	Cyprus
	Hungary	2–0	Cyprus

Group 8

Teams	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Romania	6	4	1	1	10	5	+5	9
Czechoslovakia	6	2	2	2	6	6	0	6
Soviet Union	6	1	3	2	8	8	0	5
Turkey	6	1	2	3	3	8	–5	4

	Turkey	0–1	Romania
	Czechoslovakia	1–0	Turkey
	Czechoslovakia	2–0	Romania
	Turkey	1–1	Soviet Union
	Romania	3–2	Soviet Union
	Soviet Union	2–0	Czechoslovakia
	Czechoslovakia	2–2	Soviet Union
	Romania	1–0	Czechoslovakia
	Romania	4–0	Turkey
	Turkey	1–1	Czechoslovakia
	Soviet Union	1–1	Romania
	Soviet Union	0–1	Turkey