STORY OF TOURNAMENT

1960

THE first version of the competition was named the European Nations Cup and held in France. The finals featured just four teams after 17 teams competed to reach the main event, which started at the semi-final stage. The Soviet Union were the first winners after a 2-1 extra-time win over Yugoslavia.

1964

SPAIN hosted the second tournament. It followed the

same format as the first edition, although this time 29 teams battled it out to reach the finals, which again started with the semis. Spain won the trophy after a 2-1 win over defending champs the Soviet Union.

1968

THE tournament was renamed the European Championship and was won by hosts Italy. The qualifying process was changed to include a group stage with the eight group winners progressing to the two-legged, home and away quarter-finals. The final tournament again started with semis, with Italy seeing off Yugoslavia after a replay.

1972

THE same format was used for the fourth European Championship in Belgium. The Belgians were only picked as hosts after the qualifying round as rival candidates England and Italy didn’t make the last four. West Germany triumphed after a 3-0 win over the Soviet Union.

1976

HELD in Yugoslavia, this was the last tournament featuring a four-team final tournament for which the hosts had to qualify. Czechoslovakia won the title thanks to a 5-3 penalties triumph

over West Germany. The Panenka penalty was born in this tournament after Antonin Panenka’s winning spot-kick.

1980 EIGHT teams qualified for the finals which were held in Italy. The teams were split into two groups of four – the winners meeting in the final and runners-up in a play-off. West Germany claimed their second title with a 2-1 win over Belgium.

1984pipped

FRANCE Germany to host the tournament and then claimed their first major tournament win, beating Spain 2-0 in the final. Michel Platini (left) was the star of the show with nine goals in just five games, including two group-stage hat-tricks. 1988claimed HOLLAND

their only European Championship crown, beating the Soviet Union 2-0 in the final at Bayern Munich’s Olympiastadion. The tournament’s five-goal top scorer Marco van Basten scored one of football’s most iconic goals, a dipping volley from a narrow angle (right). 1992

A

TRULY memorable triumph for Denmark in Sweden. Their players were on the beach having initially failed to qualify, but cut short their holidays after being drafted in to replace disqualified Yugoslavia. The Danes sealed the fairy tale with a shock 2-0 win over Germany.

1996

FOOTBALL came home and the trophy nearly did too. But hosts England were edged out in the semis by eventual winners Germany on penalties. This was the first European Championship to feature 16 teams and the first major championships to be decided by a golden goal.

2000THE tournament, co-hosted by Belgium and Holland, was again decided by a golden goal when David Trezeguet (left) struck against Italy to help France add the trophy to their World Cup two years earlier. 2004

TEENS Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo announced themselves on the international stage. But in a tournament full of shocks Greece produced the biggest of all to triumph with a 1-0 final win over hosts Portugal. Big guns Spain, Italy and Germany all failed to get out of their groups.

2008

THE second co-hosted Euros, this time by Austria and Switzerland, saw undefeated Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the final. Spain were only the second country to win all of their group games and take home the trophy, with the success marking the start of their period of international dominance.

2012

POLAND and Ukraine co-hosted the 14th European Championship. Once again, Spain had too much for their rivals and claimed the silverware after hammering Italy 4-0 in the final. They were the first country to win successive Euros and three straight major tournaments after their 2010 World Cup win.

2016

THE first tournament to feature 24 teams saw double defending champions Spain beaten by Italy in the last 16 and England, shockingly, fell at the same hurdle against Iceland. This was destined to be the tournament where Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to a major title, even though he was an early injury casualty in a final won by Eder, with the only goal in extra time against hosts France. 2020

A BIZARRE total of 11 hosts held various group games and the early knockouts but Wembley laid claim to both semis and the final. The pandemic saw the tournament delayed by a year. When action started, Scotland and England played out one of only two goalless group games. Wales qualified for the knockouts, only to be thrashed by Denmark. England lost the final to Italy on penalties.