UEFA European Championship

EURO
Founded

1960

Region

Europe (UEFA)

Number of teams

24 (finals)
54 (eligible to enter qualification)

Current champions

Spain (3rd title)

Most successful team(s)

Germany
Spain
(3 titles each)

Website

Official website

History & Format

The UEFA European Championship, or simply, The Euros, is the primary association football competition
contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Union of European Football Associations
(UEFA), determining the continental champion of Europe. Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered
year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the
current name in 1968. The idea for a pan-European football tournament was first proposed by the French Football
Federation's secretary-general Henri Delaunay in 1927, but it was not until 1958 that the tournament was started,
three years after Delaunay's death. In honor of Delaunay, the trophy awarded to the champions is named after him.

Prior to entering the tournament all teams other than the host nations (which qualify automatically) compete
in a qualifying process. Before 1980, only four teams qualified for the final tournament. From 1980, eight teams
competed. In 1996 the tournament expanded to 16 teams, since it was easier for European nations to qualify for
the World Cup than their own continental championship. For 2016, the competition will increase to 24 teams. In 2007,
there was much discussion about an expansion of the tournament to 24 teams, started by Scotland and the Republic
of Ireland, due to the increased number of football associations in Europe after the breakups
of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, and the inclusion of Israel and Kazakhstan.

The competing teams are chosen by a series of qualifying games: in 1960 and 1964 through home and
away play-offs; from 1968 through a combination of both qualifying groups and play-off games. The host country was
selected from the four finalists after they were determined through qualifying. Since the expansion of the final

tournament starting from 1980, the host country, or countries, have been chosen beforehand and qualify
automatically.

Hosts, Winners & Results

Year

Final

Host
Winner

Score

Runner-up

Soviet Union

21
After Extra-Time

Yugoslavia

1960
France

1964
Spain

21

Spain

1968
Italy

11 After Extra-Time
20 Replay

Italy

1972
Belgium

1976

30

West Germany

Yugoslavia

Czechoslovakia

21

West Germany

1984
France

1988
West Germany

1992

England

Germany

21
Golden Goal Rule

Czech Republic

France

21
Golden Goal Rule

Italy

Belgium &
Netherlands

2004
Portugal

10

Greece

Austria &

Poland &

Germany

40

Spain

Ukraine

Portugal

10

Spain

Switzerland
2012

Germany

Denmark

1996

2008

Soviet Union

20

Sweden

2000

Spain

20

Netherlands

Italy

2016

16

16

16

16

16

24

France

Finalists
Team

West Germany

Belgium

20

France

Yugoslavia

Soviet Union

22 After Extra-Time
(53) Penalty Shootout

1980
Italy

Soviet Union

Number
of
teams

Titles

Runners-up

Finalists

Team

Titles

Runners-up

Finalists

Spain

3 (1964, 2008, 2012)

1 (1984)

France

2 (1984, 2000)

Russia

1 (1960)

Italy

1 (1968)

2 (2000,2012)

Czech Rep.

1 (1976)

1 (1996)

Netherlands 1 (1988)

Denmark

1 (1992)

Greece

1 (2004)

3 (1964,1972,1988)

Yugoslavia

2 (1960,1968)

Belgium

1 (1980)

Portugal

1 (2004)

Stats & Records

3,

Most championships
Germany (1972, 1980, 1996),

6,

Spain (1964, 2008, 2012)

Most finishes in the top two

Germany (1972, 1976, 1980, 1992, 1996, 2008)

11,

Most European Championship Finals appearances

Germany (every tournament since 1972)

3,

Most second-place finishes

Germany (1976, 1992, 2008),

2,

Soviet Union (Russia) (1964, 1972, 1988)

Most consecutive championships

Spain (20082012)

1st,

Best finish by host team

Spain (1964),

Italy (1968),

Worst finish by host team

France (1984)

9-16,

43,

Belgium (2000),

Austria &

Switzerland (2008),

Poland &

Most matches played

Germany

23,

Most wins
Germany

14,

Most losses
Denmark

15,

Most draws
Italy

6,

Most matches played without a win

Poland

8,

Most matches played before first win

Romania,

65,

Switzerland

Most goals scored

Germany

45,

Most goals conceded

Germany

1,

Fewest goals scored

Austria,

1,

Latvia,

Norway

Fewest goals conceded

Norway

1.63,

0.33,

4,

Highest average of goals scored per match

Netherlands
Lowest average of goals scored per match
Austria,

Latvia,

Norway

Most tournaments unbeaten

Germany (1972, 1976, 1980, 1996),

5,

Spain (1964, 1996, 2008, 2012)

Most wins in one tournament

France (1984, out of 5; 2000, out of 6),

14,

Most goals scored in a tournament

France (1984)

Fewest goals conceded in a tournament

Spain (2008, out of 6)

Ukraine (2012)

1,

Italy (1980),

13,

Norway (2000),

Spain (2012)

Most goals conceded in a tournament

Yugoslavia (2000)

Most minutes without conceding a goal in a tournament

509 mins,

Spain (2012)

Most medals

3, Rainer Bonhof (

West Germany): 1972 (champions), 1976 (runners-up), 1980 (champions)

Most matches played, Finals

16, Edwin van der Sar (

Netherlands, 19962008), Lilian Thuram (

Most minutes played, Finals

1535 minutes, Edwin van der Sar (

Netherlands, 19962008)

Most appearances as captain

11, Iker Casillas (

Spain, 20082012)

Youngest player

18 years and 71 days, Jetro Willems (

Netherlands, vs

Most goals scored, including qualifying

England, 19962000)

Most hat-tricks

2, Michel Platini (

Northern Ireland, 2008 qualifying)

Most matches with at least one goal

6, Alan Shearer (

France, 1984)

Most goals scored in a single qualifying competition

13, David Healy (

France, 1984)

Fastest hat-trick

18 minutes, Michel Platini (

Portugal: 2 in 2004, 9 in 2008, 10 in 2012, 5 in 2016)

Most goals scored in a tournament

9, Michel Platini (

Spain, 2008)

France, 1984)

26, Cristiano Ronaldo (

Germany, vs

Most goals scored, Finals

9, Michel Platini (

Denmark, 2012)

Oldest player, final

38 years and 232 days, Jens Lehmann (

France, 19962008)

France vs

Yugoslavia, 1984)[3]

Most goals scored by a substitute in a Finals match

3, Dieter Mller (

West Germany vs

Yugoslavia, 1976)

Youngest goalscorer

18 years and 141 days, Johan Vonlanthen (

9,

Spain vs

Soviet Union, 1964)

Turkey vs

Croatia, 2008)

Soviet Union vs

Yugoslavia 1960)

Most goals scored in a match

Yugoslavia (5) vs

Greece, 2004)

Latest goal from kickoff in a final

113th minute, Viktor Ponedelnik (

Russia vs

Latest goal from kickoff

120th minute, Semih entrk (

Poland, 2008)

Fastest goal in a final

6 minutes, Jess Mara Pereda (

Austria vs

Fastest goal

68 seconds, Dmitri Kirichenko (

France, 2004)

Oldest goalscorer

38 years and 257 days, Ivica Vasti (

Switzerland vs

France (4), 1960

Most goals scored in a tournament

85 goals, 2000

Fewest goals scored in a tournament

7 goals, 1968

Most scorers in a tournament

53, 2000, 2008 & 2012

Most clean sheets (matches without conceding)

9, Edwin van der Sar (

Norway, 2000); Iker Casillas (

Germany, 19921996); Joachim Lw (

Most matches won as coach

8, Joachim Lw (

Italy, 1968); Thomas Myhre (

Spain, 2012)

Most matches coached

11, Berti Vogts (

Denmark, 19882000)

Fewest goals conceded, one tournament

1, Dino Zoff (

Spain, 20042012)

Most goals conceded

20, Peter Schmeichel (

Netherlands, 19962008); Iker Casillas (

Germany, 20082012)

Most championships

Germany, 20082012)

no coach has won the title on more than one occasion

Most tournaments as coach

3, Lars Lagerbck, (

Sweden, 20002008)

Youngest coach

36 years and 333 days, Sreko Katanec (

Slovenia vs

Yugoslavia, 2000)

Oldest coach

73 years and 93 days, Giovanni Trapattoni (

Republic of Ireland vs

Italy, 2012)

Most tournaments refereed

3, Anders Frisk (

Sweden, 19962004), Kim Milton Nielsen (

Denmark, 19962004)

Most matches refereed, overall

8, Anders Frisk (

Sweden, 19962004)

Fastest sending off

24th minute, ric Abidal (

France), vs

Italy, 2008

Latest sending off

117th minute, Nuno Gomes (

Portugal), vs

France, 2000

Most cards (all-time, player)

8, Giorgos Karagounis (

Greece, 20042012)[7]

Most cautions (all-time, player)

8, Giorgos Karagounis (

Greece, 20042012)[7]

Most sendings off (all-time, player)

2, Radoslav Ltal (

Czech Republic, 1996 and 2000)

Most sendings off (tournament)

10 (in 31 games), 2000

3,

Most sendings off (all-time, team)

Czech Republic,

3,

France,

Netherlands,

Russia and

Yugoslavia

Most sendings off (match, both teams)

Czech Republic vs

Netherlands, 1976

Most cautions (tournament)

156 (in 31 matches), 2004.

79,115,

Highest in a Finals match & highest in a final

Soviet Union vs

Spain, 21 June 1964, Santiago Bernabu Stadium, Madrid, 1964

Lowest in a Finals match

3,869,

Hungary vs

Denmark, 20 June 1964, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain, 1964

Highest average attendance per match

59,847, 1968

Highest total attendance (tournament)

1,440,846, 2012

Lowest average attendance per match

19,740, 1960

Lowest total attendance (tournament)

78,958, 1960

Goalscoring by tournament

Year

Teams

Matches

Goals

Top scorer

Average goals

1960

17

4.25

1964

13

3.25

1968

1.40

1972

10

2.50

1976

19

4.75

1980

14

27

1.93

1984

15

41

2.73

1988

15

34

2.27

1992

15

32

2.13

1996

16

31

64

2.06

2000

16

31

85

2.74

2004

16

31

77

2.48

2008

16

31

77

2.48

2012

16

31

76

2.45