2' min
The premier continental football competition, Euro 2024, is enjoying massive success both in stadiums and among TV viewers glued to their screens during matches. This is the seventeenth edition of the UEFA European Championship, a tournament that began in 1960 and boasts numerous unique records and intriguing stories.
Ten national teams have won the trophy in the sixteen editions held so far. The roll of honour includes Germany with three victories (two as West Germany in 1972 and 1980, and one after reunification in 1996) and Spain with three wins (1964, 2008, 2012). Italy (1968, 2020) and France (1984, 2000) have each won twice. The Soviet Union (1960), Czechoslovakia (1976), the Netherlands (1988), Denmark (1992), Greece (2004), and Portugal (2016) have each claimed the title once.
The first edition, held in France, saw the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia on the podium, three nations that no longer exist today.
The 1968 edition made history with a truly unique event. At San Paolo Stadium, in windy and rainy conditions, Italy and the USSR faced off in the semi-finals. After extra time, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. The referee summoned the captains to the dressing rooms. The finalist would be decided by a coin toss. A few minutes later, Giacinto Facchetti triumphantly returned to the field. Luck had favoured Italy, which advanced to the final. The victory was confirmed on the second toss, as the first coin got stuck in a crack on the floor.
The 1976 edition featured the first "Panenka" penalty. On June 20, the final between West Germany and Czechoslovakia went to penalties. Hoeness missed, and Panenka had the title-winning shot. Sepp Maier was deceived by the first-ever "Panenka" penalty.
One notable exclusion from the list of nations that have triumphed in the Euro Tournament is England. Despite having played the most matches in the European Championships (38), England has never won the trophy.
The 1992 Danish fairy tale is unforgettable. An UN resolution regarding the ongoing conflicts in the Balkans led to Yugoslavia's exclusion and Denmark's inclusion, despite not having qualified. The Danish players, who were on vacation, showed up tanned. Despite the short preparation time, Denmark surprisingly won the tournament.
A curious record also belongs to the most recent edition in 2020 (held in 2021 due to Covid-19), which saw Italy's triumph. That edition set a record for own goals: ten in total. This is a staggering number considering that in all previous editions combined, there had been only nine own goals.
