The Euro history saw 10 different teams winning the championship, and here’s a list of the top 5 most successful teams in EURO history.
Up to the start of EURO 2024, the European Football Championship – UEFA EURO, has gone through 16 times of organization, witnessing 10 national teams crowned champions. The following is a list of the 5 most successful teams in EURO history, from the first tournament held in 1960, to the most recent tournament held in 2021 (EURO 2020 postponed for 1 year because of the Covid-19 pandemic) :
1. German team – 3 times champion, 3 times runner-up
The host country of EURO 2024 is the most successful national team at EURO with 3 championship titles and 3 runner-up finishes. “German Tank” has always been known as one of the most powerful football platforms in the world throughout the history of the king sport.
The German Team’s cycle of success in the EURO arena spanned from 1972 – 1996, almost at the same time as the golden period of the Bundesliga’s greatest club – Bayern Munich.
- Championships (3): 1972, 1980, 1996
- Runner-up times (3): 1976, 1992, 2008
2. Spain team – 3 times champion, 1 time runner-up
Ranked 2nd among the kings of European football is Spain. In modern football history, except for the EURO championship in 1964, Spain has gone through a period of nothing that lasted nearly half a decade. That was the period when the bullfighting team was often ironically nicknamed “The King of Qualification”.
However, the rise of the tiki-taka football philosophy ushered in the era of ultimate glory in Spanish football. Within 4 years from 2008 – 2012, they absolutely dominated the world with 2 EURO championships and 1 World Cup championship. Up to now, Spain is still the only team that has successfully defended the EURO championship.
- Championships (3): 1964, 2008, 2012.
- Runners-up (1): 1984.
3. Italian team – 2 times champion, 2 times runner-up
Even though they are always competing fiercely with Brazil for dominance in the World Cup arena, at the EURO playground, the Italians appear to be quite unlucky. The Thien Thanh shirt army has only been crowned champion twice and finished second twice in this tournament.
Participating in EURO 2024 as the defending champion, Italy is still not highly appreciated due to its star-scarce squad and unstable performance. However, surely people still remember the way they conquered the 2006 World Cup gold cup or the EURO 2020 silver cup, that is, when receiving the least expectations, the cerulean beauty of the Italians will always know how to shine. brightest.
- Championships (2): 1968, 2020.
- Runner-up times (2): 2000, 2012.
4. French team – 2 times champion, 1 time runner-up
The French made a bold mark in the EURO arena by winning the championship twice, at a time when they were led by two of the greatest legends of soccer: Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.
However, the last time the French enjoyed the taste of victory at the EURO arena was 24 years ago. This summer, under the leadership of superstar Mbappe, the new golden generation of French football is full of opportunities to collect the most prestigious titles at the national team level.
- Championships (2): 1984, 2000.
- Runner-up times (1): 2016.
5. Russian team (former Soviet Union) – 1 time champion, 3 times runner-up
As the official successor country of the former Soviet Union (USSR), the Russian team is also recognized as one of the richest football traditions in Europe.
The Russian Bears were the first EURO champions in 1960 under the guidance of the greatest goalkeeper in history – Lev Yashin. However, they failed to reach the Finals three times in the following seasons.
- Championships (1): 1960.
- Runner-up times (3): 1964, 1972, 1988.
Besides the above 5 teams, EURO history also records many other successful names such as the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia), Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Greece…
