The first UEFA European Championship match may have shown more goals than any final match since then, but there is no shortage of high points in the meantime.
Here are the 13 best points in EURO history – can you guess which nation is participating in no less than five of them?
Nine goals – once1960 semifinals: France 4-5 Yugoslavia
The opening game of the inaugural tournament yielded a meeting that has hardly been matched for drama since. Early battles were traded before France went up 2-1 just before half time, but there was no sign of the explosion of goals to come. Les Bleus doubled their advantage twice – each side of Ante Žanetić’s 55th minute effort – to lead 4-2 with a quarter of an hour left, but three goals in five minutes turned the match upside down remarkably.
Eight goals – once 2020 round 16: Croatia 3-5 Spain (aet)
Despite falling behind in a bizarre way due to Pedris’ long-term own goal, Spain equalized before the interval and took a 3-1 lead with 13 minutes left via César Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres. It looked like that. Instead, Mislav Oršić (85) and Mario Pašalić (90 + 2) forced extra time, only for Álvaro Morata to restore the Spanish advantage with a fine strike. Mikel Oyarzabal finally finished Croatia’s brave challenge, making Spain the first team ever to score five goals in consecutive matches in a EURO final.
Seven goals – three times
Slobodan Komljenovic scores against Spain 2000 / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Group game 2000: Yugoslavia 3-4 Spain
Spain looked dead and buried when this, their last group game, was finally injured. José Antonio Camacho’s side demanded a victory to go through, but followed the ten-man Yugoslavia 3-2 when the match went into extra time. Gaizka Mendieta’s penalty drew the Spaniards evenly but they still needed to score another goal; Alfonso Pérez hammered hard on his second day and pandemonium followed. Yugoslavia could at least be comforted by the fact that they also went through.
2000 quarterfinals: Netherlands 6-1 Yugoslavia
A singing, all-dancing screen from the Dutchman that remains the only moment in EURO final history when a team has had sex. Three of these strikes came from Patrick Kluivert – a man who at the height of his career only had his eyes on the back of the net – and two with the permission of Marc Overmar’s lively wing play. However, it was not about any player – it was Frank Rijkaard’s side total destruction of a Yugoslav team that was so fluid in the group stage.
Quarterfinals 2016: France 5-2 Iceland
France ignited the style when Iceland’s UEFA EURO 2016 dream threatened to end up in a nightmare in Saint-Denis. The smallest nation in the final – one in twelve of Iceland’s population had traveled to France to support them! – entered the game at a height after stunned England in the 16s, but the ruthless hosts ensured no repetition when they ran to a 4-0 lead. True to form, the memories fought to the last and surpassed their opponents after the break.
Six goals – eight times1976 Semifinal: Yugoslavia 2-4 West Germany (aet)
With West Germany two down in half an hour, the holders’ title defense was on the rocks. Helmut Schön’s FIFA World Champion in 1974, however, did not trade in capitulations and was on equal terms with eight minutes left thanks to Heinz Flohe and his replacement Dieter Müller. Then Müller struck two more in the last six minutes of extra time to complete his hat-trick and put West Germany through to a showpiece against Czechoslovakia – no bad international debut for the striker.
1996 group stage: Russia 3-3 Czech Republic
A match with twists that almost spelled the end of EURO ’96 for the Czechs, who had been two to good before 20 minutes. Their lead was gone just after half time and they were five minutes behind. The defeat would have meant that Italy qualified from Group C instead of Dušan Uhrin’s men, but Vladimír Šmicer came to the rescue with two minutes left – the dramatic conclusion barely marked the start of a memorable tournament for the Czechs.
Group game 2000: Yugoslavia 3-3 Slovenia
To suggest that the odds were stacked against Yugoslavia with 30 minutes left would be to make them a big bite. Slovenia were not only 3-0 after two Zlatko Zahovič goals and Miran Pavlin’s header, they also had a man advantage after Siniša Mihajlović’s dismissal on the hour. But Yugoslavia did not know they were being beaten and pulled it back to 3-3 with goals in 67, 70 and 73 minutes, which meant that Ivan Dudić’s late goal line meant that their hard work was not wasted.
2004 group stage: Croatia 2-4 England
Frank Lampard makes 4-2 to England against Croatia 2004 / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
After bursting onto the stage with two goals against Switzerland in England’s previous match, Wayne Rooney really made his mark on the European stage with this screen. Sven-Göran Eriksson’s team was behind early, but still Paul Scholes pulled them evenly before Rooney’s stay fixed England. Each side made further efforts, but Rooney’s influence had already secured England’s progress beyond the group stage for the first time on foreign soil.
Quarterfinals 2012: Germany 4-2 Greece
When Giorgios Samaras interrupted Philipp Lahm’s opener ten minutes after the interval, Greece may have had visions of a semi-final place. But three goals in 14 minutes – Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus on the ground – soon paid off. Dimitris Salpingidiss’s late penalty was nothing but a consolation. This was actually a world record 15th race in a row for Germany, but that run was completed by Italy in the last four.
Group group 2016: Hungary 3-3 Portugal
Portugal’s UEFA EURO 2016 ambitions hung in the balance on a remarkable afternoon in Lyon. Three times the surprise Group F leader Hungary was in front but each time they held back. Coming the hour, comes Cristiano Ronaldo, who celebrated his record 17th EURO final with two goals that made him the first player to score in four separate editions. Portugal was through the skin of the teeth; three weeks later they became European champions.
Group play 2020: Portugal 2-4 Germany
Die Mannschaft needed an answer to France’s tame defeat in their opening game, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener increased their problems. The turnaround from Joachim Löw’s side was, however, as outstanding as their football. Germany had two own goals before half-time, when Robin Gosens saw no way back for the European champions – the winger first set up Kai Havertz and shortly afterwards went in to make it 4-1 per hour. Diogo Jota’s response had no value for Portugal.
16th round 2020: France 3-3 Switzerland (aet, pencils: 4-5)
Paul Pogba curls France’s fantastic third at Euro 2020 / Marcio Machado / Getty Images
On the same day, Spain won the eight-goal thriller against Croatia, this takes the prize as the highest-scoring EURO final that ends in a penalty shootout. Haris Seferović’s high header gave Switzerland a lead at half time but Karim Benzema’s double and a fantastic Paul Pogba effort seemed to have sent France through. Nati came back, however, with Seferović and Mario Gavranović sending the competition to extra time and finally penalties. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer had the last word and saved the tenth place kick by shoot-out from Kylian Mbappé to give Switzerland its first ever victory in the knockout stages.
