The UEFA Euro was founded in 1958. However, the first tournament took place in 1960. The competition takes place once every four years. The tournament has taken place 16 times since 1960, and 10 different nations have managed to win it. In the current format, a total of 55 teams participate in the qualification rounds, with 24 playing in the main tournament.
The UEFA Euro winners list is mentioned below:
Year | Champions | Runners-Up |
1960 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia |
1964 | Spain | Soviet Union |
1968 | Italy | Yugoslavia |
1972 | West Germany | Soviet Union |
1976 | Czechoslovakia | West Germany |
1980 | West Germany | Belgium |
1984 | France | Spain |
1988 | Netherlands | Soviet Union |
1992 | Denmark | Germany |
1996 | Germany | Czech Republic |
2000 | France | Italy |
2004 | Greece | Portugal |
2008 | Spain | Germany |
2012 | Spain | Italy |
2016 | Portugal | France |
2020 | Italy | England |
2024 | Spain | England |
Titles: 1984, 2000
David Trezeguet’s golden goal to win Euro 2000 for France was a thunderbolt🔥 pic.twitter.com/BSQPi5XBhy
— 90s Footballers (@90sPlayers) November 20, 2023
France has won two UEFA Euro titles. They won their first-ever title in 1984. France beat Denmark, Belgium, and Yugoslavia to top Group 1 and advance to the semi-finals. They played Portugal in the semis and almost crashed out of the tournament. France scored first, but Portugal promptly equalized, sending the game into extra-time. Portugal scored early into extra time, nearly sending France out. However, goals from Domergue and Platini in the extra time saw France complete a comeback and make it to the final.
France faced Spain in the final and took the lead near the hour mark after Platini scored a direct freekick. However, Les Bleus made it difficult for themselves. Yvon Le Roux got sent off. Although they had been reduced to 10 men, they managed to hold their nerves, scoring again in injury time and winning 2-0. This gave France their first-ever major title.
The nation’s second and final Euros title came in the year 2000. France came second in their group after being grouped together with Netherlands, Denmark, and Czech Republic. They then beat Spain and Portugal in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively, to make it all the way to the final.
They faced Italy in the final. France seemed to have lost the game after conceding to Marco Delvecchio in the 55th minute. However, Sylvain Wiltord had another plan. He scored in the 90+4th minute to send the game into extra time. David Trezeguet managed to score a goal in the 103rd minute. This was the golden goal, and the game ended after Trezeguet scored. This goal won France their second UEFA Euro title.
ALSO READ: English Premier League Winners List
Titles: 1968, 2020
Italy’s first UEFA Euro title came in 1968. This was the third Euros ever held. Only four teams qualified for the final tournament. During this period, a draw after extra time was decided with a coin toss in any match except for the final. In the final, the game was replayed if the match ended as a draw after extra time. A draw is precisely what happened in the semi-final game between Italy and the Soviet Union.
The game ended 0-0 after extra time, but Italy went to the finals after winning the coin toss. Italy faced Yugoslavia in the final. The game ended 1-1 after extra time, forcing a replay. Italy scored two first-half goals in the replay, giving them an easy win. This was the first UEFA Euro title won by Italy.
Their second title came 52 years later, in 2020. The tournament was pushed to 2021 due to COVID-19. However, it was still called the UEFA Euro 2020. Italy was placed in Group A alongside Wales, Switzerland, and Turkey. They topped the group, winning all three games. They went on to beat Austria, Belgium, and Spain in the knockout phases to reach the tournament finals. They faced England in the final.
England took a very early lead through Luke Shaw, who scored in the 2nd minute. Italy equalised through Leonardo Bonucci. Neither team scored again, and the game was forced into penalties. England took the early lead in the shootout as well, going 2-1 up. However, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka all missed their penalties, and Italy won the shootout 3-2 to lift their second EURO trophy.
Titles: 1972, 1980, 1996
Credit: Sportskeeda
Germany has reached the UEFA Euro finals a total of six times, which is the most any nation has ever managed since the tournament started in 1960. Germany has a 50% win rate, winning three of the six finals in which they have participated. Their first title came in 1972. West Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and the Soviet Union in the 1972 Euro tournament. West Germany beat Belgium in the semi-final and the Soviet Union in the final to lift their first Euros title.
The 1980 Euros was the second time Germany clinched the UEFA Euros title. 1980 was the first time the European Championship featured eight teams. West Germany was put alongside Czechoslovakia, Netherlands, and Greece in Group 1. West Germany managed to top the group and advance to the final. They faced Belgium in the final and beat them 2-1 to win the 1980 UEFA Euros.
Germany’s third and final Euros title came in 1996. They topped Group C, comprising of Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Russia. They beat Croatia and England in the knockout stages to reach the final. In the final, they played the Czech Republic once again. The game went into extra time after goals from Berger and Bienhoff, which meant the score was level. Bienhoff managed to score again in the 95th minute. This was the golden goal, and the game ended as soon as Bienhoff scored. This helped Germany win their third UEFA Euro title.
Titles: 1964, 2008, 2012, 2024
15 years ago today, Spain won Euro 2008.
They followed it up by winning the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/IqssrwDQM8
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 29, 2023
Spain was the second-ever winner of the UEFA Euro championship. Spain, the Soviet Union, Hungary, and Denmark participated in this tournament. Spain played Hungary in the semi-final. They beat Hungary 2-1 thanks to a late goal in extra time. They then faced the defending champions, the Soviet Union, in the final. They took the lead in the 6th minute but were hit back with an equaliser almost instantly in the 8th minute. Marcelino, however, scored in the 84th minute to give Spain the win and help them win their first UEFA Euro title.
The second and third titles came in consecutive editions of the UEFA Euro tournament. Sapin won both the 2008 and 2012 UEFA Euro titles. La Roja were placed in Group D with Russia, Sweden, and Greece. They won all three games and finished on top of the table. They beat Italy and Russia in the knockout phases to reach the final. They faced Germany in the final and won 1-0 to win the 2008 UEFA Euros.
In the 2012 tournament, Spain’s group consisted of Italy, Croatia, and the Republic of Ireland. They topped the group once again and moved to the knockout stages. They beat France and Portugal in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively, to reach the final. Spain faced Italy in the final and completely dominated them. They won the game 4-0 and lifted their third UEFA Euro title.
Spain are also the most recent winners and title holders of the UEFA Euros. They won in 2024, beating England in the final to lift the trophy for the fourth time, becoming the most decorated team in UEFA Euros history. Spain took the lead early in the first-half thanks to a goal by Nico Williams. England, however, responded with a goal of their own in the 73rd minute as Cole Palmer found the back of the net. It looked like the game was heading towards extra-time. However, a goal from Mikel Oyarzabal in the 86th minute sealed England’s fate and handed Spain their fourth Euros title.
For more news and updates on the UEFA Euro, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.
Guransh Machra is a sportswriter at Gutshot Magazine. He covers football news from local leagues like the Indian Super League as well as international leagues like the Premier League. He follows various sports like Football, Cricket, Formula 1, and Tennis. Apart from sports, Guransh is also enthusiastic about reading and gaming.
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