At 3:00 AM on July 15th, the much-anticipated final of the 2024 UEFA European Championship in Germany will kick off, with Spain facing England. Previously, Spain has lifted the European Cup a total of three times, equaling Germany for the most victories; meanwhile, England is yet to secure a single European Championship title.
Before this, the European Championship has been successfully held 16 times. After undergoing three expansions, the number of teams in the finals has grown from four at the first tournament to the current 24, during which ten national teams have lifted the championship trophy.
Looking back at the history of the European Championship, the most successful team is undoubtedly the German side. From West Germany to present-day Germany, the Die Mannschaft has reached the European Championship final a total of six times. In 1972, West Germany, with Gerd Müller scoring twice and Uli Weimer netting one, defeated the Soviet Union 3-0 to win their first European Championship title. In 1980, Horst Hrubesch became the hero of West Germany, his two goals helping them clinch a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the final. In 1996, with Jürgen Klinsmann and Oliver Bierhoff leading the team, Germany faced the Czech Republic in the final and ultimately won the title thanks to Bierhoff’s golden goal.
The other team that has claimed the European Championship crown three times is La Roja (the Spanish team). As early as 1964, Spain won the second European Championship title as the host nation. However, Spain then entered a long period of dormancy until they returned to the European Championship final 20 years later, only to lose to the French team led by Michel Platini. After another fall into obscurity, Spain’s golden generation arrived in 2008, with Fernando Torres scoring the decisive goal, allowing the Spanish Armada to defeat Germany 1-0 and lift the trophy. Thereafter, Spain embarked on a reign over world football, winning the 2010 South Africa World Cup and successfully defending their European Championship title in 2012.
Like Spain, Italy’s first European Championship triumph also came in 1968 as the host nation. The team drew 1-1 with Yugoslavia in the first leg of the 1968 final but then won 2-0 in the replay thanks to Roberto Bettega and Gianni Rivera’s goals. Italy’s next appearance in the European Championship final was 32 years later, in the 2000 European Championship final. They fought hard into extra time but fell to David Trezeguet’s golden goal, watching France lift the trophy. In 2012, Italy once again reached the European Championship final, but they were helpless against the dominant Spanish side, losing 0-4. At the last European Championship, Italy’s veterans finally realized their dream, defeating England on penalties and bringing home the trophy after a 52-year absence.
The French team is the third team in European Championship history to win their first title as hosts on home soil. In 1984, Les Bleus reached the final and beat Spain 2-0 to lift the trophy. In 2000, as reigning World Cup champions, France continued their success under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane, winning the European Championship title. In 2016, Didier Deschamps led France back to the European Championship final as coach, but this time they failed to receive the blessing of the goddess of victory. They conceded to Eder’s goal in the 109th minute of extra time, losing 0-1 to Portugal and failing to match the achievements of Germany and Spain.
In addition to these multiple title-winning teams, six other teams have inscribed their names in the European Championship champions’ ledger.
In the 1960 French European Championship, the Soviet Union defeated Yugoslavia 2-1 to win the inaugural European Championship title, which was their only victory in four final appearances.
In the 1976 Yugoslav European Championship, Czechoslovakia dragged West Germany, led by Gerd Müller, into a penalty shootout and lifted the trophy with a perfect five-for-five performance.
In the 1988 West German European Championship, the Dutch trio left fans with the most beautiful memories. Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten each scored, helping the Netherlands beat the Soviet Union 2-0 to claim the title.
In the 1992 Swedish European Championship, the Danish team, which qualified for the main event as a substitute, wrote the perfect ending to the “Danish fairy tale.” Under the guidance of Michael Laudrup, Denmark overcame all obstacles and eventually defeated Germany to win the title in a miraculous fashion.
In the 2004 Portuguese European Championship, the host nation and global fans witnessed the “Greek myth.” Otto Rehhagel’s Greek team, despite being underestimated, won 1-0 to claim the title, leaving Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo heartbroken.
In the 2016 French European Championship, Portugal took over Greece’s script, facing the host nation in the final. Cristiano Ronaldo’s 25th-minute injury seemed to spell doom for the fans, but Eder rose to the occasion in extra time, scoring the decisive goal. This allowed Ronaldo, who had temporarily taken on the role of coach, to finally lift a major tournament trophy.
In the 2021 European Championship, as hosts, England met Italy in the Wembley final but ended up losing on penalties, witnessing Italy lift their second European Championship title in front of a home crowd. However, finishing as runners-up was still England’s best result in European Championship history.
In tonight’s final, regardless of whether Spain or England wins, they will both create history in the European Championship. Will it be Spain winning the title for the fourth time to stand above all others, or England breaking the curse to win their first title in history? All will be revealed after today’s match.