UEFA Euro · History

The UEFA European Championship, known as the UEFA Euro, is the tournament for the men's senior national teams of UEFA's member associations. The first edition was played in 1960 as the European Nations' Cup. France hosted a final round of four teams, and the Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2-1 after extra time in the final in Paris. The competition is held every four years and took the name European Championship in 1968. The winners receive the Henri Delaunay Trophy, named after the French official who first proposed a continental competition for national teams and who became UEFA's first general secretary.

The four-team finals, 1960-1976

For its first five editions, the Euro was mostly a knockout competition played over home-and-away rounds, and only the last four teams met at a single host. Spain hosted in 1964 and won the title on home soil, beating the Soviet Union 2-1 in the final in Madrid. In 1968 Italy reached the final after a semi-final against the Soviet Union that ended goalless and was settled by the toss of a coin. The final against Yugoslavia in Rome finished 1-1, and Italy won the replay 2-0 two days later. It remains the only Euro final decided by a replay. West Germany won in Belgium in 1972, beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in Brussels. In 1976, in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia drew 2-2 with West Germany in Belgrade and won 5-3 on penalties. Antonín Panenka scored the deciding kick by chipping it down the middle of the goal.

Eight teams, 1980-1992

The final tournament grew to eight teams in 1980, with two groups. Italy was the host, and West Germany won a second title by beating Belgium 2-1 in Rome; Horst Hrubesch scored both goals. France won on home soil in 1984, beating Spain 2-0 in Paris. Michel Platini scored nine goals in five matches, including two hat-tricks. In 1988 the tournament went to West Germany, where the Netherlands beat the Soviet Union 2-0 in Munich with goals from Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten. The 1992 edition in Sweden was won by Denmark. The Danes had not qualified and came in as a late replacement for Yugoslavia, which had been excluded because of United Nations sanctions. They beat Germany 2-0 in the final in Gothenburg.

Sixteen teams and the golden goal, 1996-2012

England hosted the first 16-team finals in 1996. Germany beat the Czech Republic 2-1 at Wembley, and Oliver Bierhoff's winner in extra time was the first golden goal to decide a major international final. In 2000, Belgium and the Netherlands became the first co-hosts. France, world champions since 1998, beat Italy 2-1 in Rotterdam with another golden goal from David Trezeguet. Portugal hosted in 2004, and Greece won the title for the first time. They had beaten the hosts in the opening match and beat them again in the final in Lisbon, 1-0, with a header from Angelos Charisteas. Austria and Switzerland shared the 2008 finals, and Spain beat Germany 1-0 in Vienna with a goal from Fernando Torres. Four years later, in Poland and Ukraine, Spain beat Italy 4-0 in Kyiv and became the first team to retain the European title.

Twenty-four teams, 2016-2024

France hosted the first 24-team edition in 2016. With six groups, the four best third-placed teams also went through to a new round of 16. Portugal beat France 1-0 after extra time in the final at Saint-Denis, with a goal from Éder. Euro 2020 was planned as a tournament across Europe to mark the competition's 60th anniversary. It was postponed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and played in 2021 in 11 cities in 11 countries. Italy and England drew 1-1 in the final at Wembley, and Italy won 3-2 on penalties.

Euro 2024 in Germany

Germany hosted the 2024 edition, its first as a reunified country, with matches in ten cities. Spain won all seven of its matches. In the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on 14 July 2024, Spain beat England 2-1 with goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal. England became the first team to lose consecutive Euro finals. The result gave Spain a fourth European Championship, after those of 1964, 2008 and 2012.