List of UEFA European Championship finals
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The
UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
is an
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
competition established in 1960. It is contested by the men's national teams of the members of the
Union of European Football Associations Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
(UEFA), the sport's European governing body, and takes place every four years. The winners of the first final were the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, who defeated
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
2–1 in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, after
extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
. The most recent final, hosted in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 2021, was won by
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, who beat
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
3–2 on
penalties Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penalty ...
. The European Championship final is the last match of the competition, and the result determines which country's team is declared European champion. As of the 2020 tournament, if after 90 minutes of regular play the score is a
draw Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn may refer to: Common uses * Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them * Drawing (manufacturing), a process where metal, glass, or plastic or anything ...
, an additional 30-minute period of play, called extra time, is added. If such a game is still tied after extra time, it is decided by penalty shoot-out. The team that wins the penalty shoot-out are then declared champions. The 16 finals to-date have produced seven drawn matches, the eventual winners of which have been determined variously by replay ( 1968), extra time (
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
), penalty shoot-out (
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
,
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
) or
golden goal The golden goal or golden point is a rule used in association football, lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey to decide the winner of a match (typically a knock-out match) in which scores are equal at the end of normal time. It is a type of sud ...
(
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
,
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
). The winners are awarded a replica of the trophy (the original remains with UEFA), while the losing finalists and semi-finalists are presented with a plaque. Gold and silver medals are awarded to the players of the winning and losing finalists respectively.
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
are the most successful teams in the history of the tournament, winning three times each. Italy and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
have each won the competition twice (the only other teams to have won the competition more than once), while Yugoslavia qualified for the final twice without success.
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
each won the European Championship on their only appearances in the final, the latter having replaced Yugoslavia on the eve of the 1992 tournament.


History

The first final of the UEFA European Football Championship (then referred to as the European Nations' Cup Final) was contested in July 1960 in Paris between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
Milan Galić Milan Galić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Галић, ; 8 March 1938 – 13 September 2014) was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional footballer who played as a striker. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics. During ...
scored for Yugoslavia just before half-time but
Slava Metreveli Slava Kalistratovich Metreveli ( ka, სლავა კალისტრატეს ძე მეტრეველი; russian: Слава Калистратович Метревели, 30 May 1936 – 7 January 1998) was a Soviet and G ...
equalised soon after the break, and the scores remained level, sending the game into extra time. With seven minutes left,
Viktor Ponedelnik Viktor Vladimirovich Ponedelnik (russian: Виктор Владимирович Понедельник, 22 May 1937 – 5 December 2020) was a Russian footballer and manager, who played for the Soviet Union national team. Biography Ponedeln ...
won the match for the Soviet Union, scoring the winner with a header. The 1960 champions qualified for the final of the 1964 tournament, where they faced hosts Spain.
Chus Pereda Jesús María Pereda Ruiz de Temiño (15 June 1938 – 27 September 2011), also known as Chus Pereda, was a Spanish football midfielder and manager. In a 16-year professional career, he played mainly for Barcelona, amassing La Liga totals of 1 ...
scored early for the home side, but the match was levelled two minutes later when
Galimzyan Khusainov Galimzyan Salikhovich Khusainov ( tt-Cyrl, Галимҗан Салих улы Хөсәенев, russian: Галимзян Салихович Хусаинов) (27 June 1937 – 5 February 2010) was a Soviet football player of Tatar ethnicity who ...
equalised. Nearly 80,000 spectators at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium ( es, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, ) is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. With a current seating capacity of 81,044, it has been the home stadium of Real Madrid since its completion in 1947. It is the second-larg ...
in Madrid had to wait for the winner which came six minutes from time, courtesy of a header from Spaniard
Marcelino Marcelino is a surname that originated in Spain. There are also several families with the Marcelino surname in Philippines, Portugal, and the Americas (North, Central, and South). * San Marcelino, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zam ...
. The hosts,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, faced Yugoslavia in the final of the 1968 tournament, now rebranded as the European Football Championship. Italy had qualified for the final by virtue of winning a
coin toss A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to ...
following their goalless semi-final against the Soviet Union. The final ended 1–1, forcing a replay to be conducted two days later. This time Italy triumphed, winning 2–0 with first-half goals from
Gigi Riva Luigi "Gigi" Riva (; born 7 November 1944) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward. Considered to be one of the best players of his generation, as well as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Riva enjoye ...
and
Pietro Anastasi Pietro Anastasi (; 7 April 1948 – 17 January 2020), nicknamed ''Petruzzu 'u turcu'' () by fans, was an Italian footballer who played mainly in the role of a forward. He started his professional club career in Italy with Varese in 1966, helpi ...
. Four years later, the final, held in Brussels, produced a record winning margin that would last for 44 years. The Soviet Union, finalists for the third time in four tournaments, were defeated 3–0 by West Germany with
Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...
and
Herbert Wimmer Herbert "Hacki" Wimmer (born 9 November 1944) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Besides winning five national championships and two UEFA Cups with his club side Borussia Mönchengladbach, he won the 1974 World ...
scoring the winning goals. The incumbent champions qualified for the final of the 1976 tournament, where they faced
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
. A late equaliser from German
Bernd Hölzenbein Bernd Hölzenbein (born 9 March 1946) is a German former professional footballer who played as a striker or winger. At international level, he was a member of the West German team that won the World Cup in 1974. Hölzenbein is best known fo ...
to make it 2–2 saw the game go into extra time and eventually to a penalty shoot-out. After seven successful conversions,
Uli Hoeneß Ulrich "Uli" Hoeneß (, ; born 5 January 1952) is the former president of German football club Bayern Munich and a former footballer for West Germany who played as a forward for club and country. Hoeneß represented Germany at one World Cup and ...
missed, leaving Czechoslovakian
Antonín Panenka Antonín Panenka (born 2 December 1948) is a Czech retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent most of his career representing Czechoslovak club Bohemians Prague. Panenka won UEFA Euro 1976 with the national team of Czec ...
with the opportunity to score and win the tournament. An "audacious" chipped shot, described by UEFA as "perhaps the most famous spot kick of all time" secured the victory as Czechoslovakia won 5–3 on penalties. Four years later, the final returned to the Stadio Olimpico where West Germany, in their third consecutive final, faced
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
Horst Hrubesch Horst Hrubesch (; born 17 April 1951) is a German professional football manager and former player who last managed Hamburger SV. As a player, Hrubesch won three West German championships with his club side, Hamburger SV, as well as the European C ...
scored early in the first half before
René Vandereycken René Vandereycken (born 22 July 1953) is a Belgian football manager and a former player. He was the head coach of the Belgium national team from 1 January 2006 to 7 April 2009. Club career Vandereycken was born in Spalbeek. He played for C ...
equalised for Belgium with a penalty in the second half. With two minutes remaining, Hrubesch headed West Germany into the lead from a Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
corner Corner may refer to: People *Corner (surname) * House of Cornaro, a noble Venetian family (''Corner'' in Venetian dialect) Places *Corner, Alabama, a community in the United States *Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia *Corner River, a tributary of ...
, securing his country's second victory in the championship. The 1984 final, in Paris, featured hosts France against 1964 champions Spain. Two second-half goals, one each from
Michel Platini Michel François Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a French football administrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, ...
and
Bruno Bellone Bruno Bellone (born 14 March 1962) is a former French international footballer who played as a winger, and who earned 34 caps and scored two goals for France from 1981 to 1988. One of the goals was in the final of the 1984 European Championsh ...
, secured a home victory; Platini ended the tournament with nine goals, the most scored in the championship finals by any player to date. The Netherlands qualified for their first final in the 1988 tournament in West Germany, where they faced the Soviet Union who were playing in their fourth final.
Ruud Gullit Ruud Gullit (; born Rudi Dil; 1 September 1962) is a Dutch footballer and subsequent manager who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s as a defender, midfielder or forward. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all t ...
scored in the first half and
Marco van Basten Marcel "Marco" van Basten (; born 31 October 1964) is a Dutch football manager and retired professional player, who played for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team, as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
doubled the lead in the second for the Netherlands with a volley which has since been described variously as "stunning", "spectacular", and the "best goal scored in the competition's history". With a 2–0 victory, the Netherlands secured their first "major" title. Following Yugoslavia's expulsion from the competition in 1992, Denmark were invited to take their place and qualified for the final where they faced a team from the newly reunified Germany. Goals from
John Jensen John Jensen (born 3 May 1965), nicknamed Faxe (), is a Danish football manager and former player. A former midfielder, his playing career lasted almost two entire decades, including a stint with Arsenal in England and three stints with Brøndb ...
and
Kim Vilfort Kim Vilfort (; born 15 November 1962) is a Danish retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the head talent scout at Brøndby IF. His 17-year professional career was mainly associated with Brøndby IF, for which he playe ...
secured a 2–0 victory for the Danes in their first and only European final.
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
hosted the final of the 1996 tournament, where the Czech Republic and Germany were forced into extra time after an
Oliver Bierhoff Oliver Bierhoff (born 1 May 1968) is a German football official and former player who played as a forward. He has previously served as the national team director of the German Football Association. A tall, strong and prolific goalscorer, Bierh ...
goal equalised
Patrik Berger Patrik Berger (; born 10 November 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He started his career in his own country with Slavia Prague and spent a season in Germany playing for Borussia Dortmund. He moved to ...
's penalty for the Czech Republic. Five minutes into extra time, Bierhoff scored his and Germany's second, and the first golden goal in the history of the tournament, securing Germany's third European title 2–1. The 2000 tournament was also decided by a golden goal. France, who had won the
1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...
, met Italy in the Feijnoord Stadion in the Netherlands, both nations making their second appearance in the final. A second-half goal from
Marco Delvecchio Marco Delvecchio (; born 7 April 1973) is a retired Italian footballer, who played as a forward. Although he played for several Italian clubs throughout his career, he spent most of it at A.S. Roma, where he is still remembered by the club's fan ...
saw Italy take a 1–0 lead into
injury time Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
, when
Sylvain Wiltord Sylvain Claude Wiltord (born 10 May 1974) is a French former professional footballer. Mainly a right winger, he also played as a centre-forward, second striker and on the left wing. Wiltord had a four-season spell at Arsenal, with whom he won t ...
scored a "last-gasp" equaliser to send the match into extra time.
David Trezeguet David Sergio Trezeguet (born 15 October 1977) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. Trezeguet began his career in Argentina with Club Atlético Platense at the age of eight, progressing through their youth sys ...
's volley 13 minutes into extra time ensured that France were both European and World champions. The 2004 competition saw, according to UEFA, "one of the biggest shocks in tournament history" as Greece defeated hosts Portugal 1–0 in the final. Despite never having won a match in a "major tournament", a second-half goal from striker
Angelos Charisteas Angelos Charisteas ( el, Άγγελος Χαριστέας, ; born 9 February 1980) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a forward. He works as sporting director for Aris Thessaloniki. At club level he played for Aris Thessa ...
caused "one of the biggest upsets in soccer history". Germany qualified for their sixth final in 2008, and faced Spain in a tournament co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland. A first-half strike from
Fernando Torres Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid Juvenil A. Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, ...
was the only goal of the game, and helped Spain win their first European trophy in 44 years. The 2012 tournament final saw reigning European and World champions Spain face Italy in Kyiv. Two first-half goals, one each from
David Silva David Josué Jiménez Silva (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Sociedad. Silva plays mainly as a central or an attacking midfielder but can also play as a winger or second striker. He is ...
and
Jordi Alba Jordi Alba Ramos (born 21 March 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is often regarded as one of the best left-backs of his generation. Alba started his ...
put the defending champions 2–0 ahead at half-time. Fifteen minutes into the second half, and four minutes after being brought on as a substitute,
Thiago Motta Thiago Motta (; ; born 28 August 1982) is a professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of club Bologna. A midfielder, Motta spent his early career at Barcelona, where he was injury-prone. He played two and ...
was stretchered off as Italy were reduced to ten men for the remainder of the second half.
Fernando Torres Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid Juvenil A. Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, ...
scored a third, becoming the first player to score in two European Championship finals, and then provided an assist for
Juan Mata Juan Manuel Mata García (born 28 April 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray. He mostly plays as a central attacking midfielder, but he can also play on the wing. A gr ...
who scored with a minute to go, the final ending 4–0. Spain's third victory in the final equalled Germany as the most successful team in the tournament's history, and they became the first team to defend the European Football Championship title. Portugal became the 10th different team to win the European Championships in 2016, when they beat France 1–0 in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
at the
Stade de France The Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the sixth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national foot ...
in Saint-Denis; the match went goalless after 90 minutes, before Eder scored the winning goal four minutes into the second period. In UEFA Euro 2020, which was actually held in 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Europe The global COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Europe with its first confirmed case in Bordeaux, France, on 24 January 2020, and subsequently spread widely across the continent. By 17 March 2020, every country in Europe had confirmed a case, and all ...
, Italy won their second title after beating first-time finalists England on penalties.


List of finals


Results by nation


See also

*
UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
*
List of FIFA World Cup finals The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the ' (FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football), the sport's global governing body. The championship has ...
* List of FIFA Confederations Cup finals


Notes


References

General * * Specific


External links


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at UEFA.com {{featured list
UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...