1978 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 8 March – 31 May | 
| Teams | 24 (from 1 confederation) | 
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Yugoslavia (1st title) | 
| Runners-up | East Germany | 
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 62 | 
| Goals scored | 199 (3.21 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) | Vahid Halilhodžić (6 goals) | 
| Best player(s) | Vahid Halilhodžić | 
1980 →   | |
The 1978 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which spanned two years (1976–78) had 24 entrants. Yugoslavia U-21s won the competition.
The 24 national teams were divided into eight groups. The group winners played off against each other on a two-legged home-and-away basis until the winner was decided. There was no finals tournament or 3rd-place playoff.