Albania Under-21 participated in the Balkan Youth Championship as a succeder[clarification needed] of Under-23 team, in the 1976–78 and 1981 competitions, winning both with finals against Romania and Bulgaria.

Albania U21 managed to qualify without losing a single game winning both home-away versus Austria (1–2 away & 3–0 home) & Turkey (both 1–0) and managing two very good draws against one of the biggest and best footballing nations, West Germany (both 1–1), heading the group with 10 points, 1 above West Germany.

In the qualifiers of the 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania left behind Armenia, but had to trail in the final rankings Germany, Ukraine, and Portugal.

In the qualifiers of the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania trailed Greece, Norway, Georgia, Latvia, and Slovenia and closed at the bottom of the group.

In the qualifiers of the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania left behind itself Kazakhstan, but was preceded by Denmark, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, and Georgia.

In the qualifiers of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania was fourth out of 6 teams in the final ranking, leaving behind the Faroe Islands and Azerbaijan, but trailing behind Italy, Croatia and Greece.

In the qualifiers of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania left again behind Azerbaijan but trailed Scotland, Belarus, and Austria in the final rankings.

In the qualifiers of the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Albania came last trailing behind Russia, Portugal, Poland, and Moldova.

Albania finished fourth leaving Hungary and Liechtenstein but trailing behind Greece, Israel and eventual Group winners Portugal.