Held every four years, the UEFA European Championship (the ‘Euros’), is a national men’s football competition between qualifying European countries.
The Euros were first held in 1960 as a four-team event until 1980 when this was increased to eight teams. In 1996, the number of participating teams doubled again to allow 16 teams to compete. A format was in place for five Euros until the last two when UEFA brought about their latest change of 24 European teams being involved.
The 6 Groups of the Euros
The Euros 2020 qualifying teams are grouped like so:
| Euro 2020 Group A Turkey Italy Wales Switzerland | Euro 2020 Group B Russia Denmark Finland Belgium |
| Euro 2020 Group C Austria North Macedonia Netherlands Ukraine | Euro 2020 Group D England Croatia Czech Republic Scotland |
| Euro 2020 Group E Spain Poland Slovakia Sweden | Euro 2020 Group F Germany Hungary Portugal France |
In the fifteen years of the competition, there have only been ten countries that have won the trophy; Spain and Germany take three titles. France takes two and Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Soviet Union, Greece, and Czech taking only one.
Spain is the only country to achieve consecutive wins, in 2008 and again in 2012.
Has England ever won the Euros?
Not only have England never won the Euros, but they also have never made it to the final of the competition. The closest they have come to lifting the trophy is being a semi-finalist on two occasions.
Back in 1968, just two years after their World Cup victory, England finished the Euros in third place. This was when there were only four teams left in the semi-finals, they lost their first official game of the tournament against Yugoslavia.
The most monumental moment for England of the Euros was in 1996 when the Three Lions reached the semi-finals but lost to Germany in a penalty shootout. Gareth Southgate stepped up to take the penalty and missed, seeing the England hosts lose the title to Germany.
Can’t remember or chose to forget – replay the full penalty shootout, thanks to UEFA:
Will England win the Euros this Year?
Although England has never won the Euros they are one of five nations who have made nine appearances in the tournament alongside, Italy, France, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
Gareth Southgate may have lost Euro 1996 but as a manager, he has developed the youngest Euros squad since the tragic loss in ‘96.
Bet356 have England at 5/1 to win which is second to France who is at 9/2. This is despite injuries to Harry Macquire, Jordan Henderson and Alexander Arnold Trent.
Who has won the Euros to Date?
The first European Championship, back in 1960, featured only four teams: France (host), Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
The competition has been played every four years until the world was hit with the Coronavirus pandemic which has caused the Euros 2020 to be delayed by a year.
As it stands the current winners table looks like this:
| Year | Host(s) | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| 2016 | France | Portugal | 1–0 | France |
| 2012 | Poland & Ukraine | Spain | 4-0 | Italy |
| 2008 | Austria & Switzerland | Spain | 1-0 | Germany |
| 2004 | Portugal | Greece | 1-0 | Portugal |
| 2000 | Belgium & Netherlands | France | 2-1 | Italy |
| 1996 | England | Germany | 2-1 | Czech Republic |
| 1992 | Sweden | Denmark | 2-0 | Germany |
| 1988 | West Germany | Netherlands | 2-0 | Soviet Union |
| 1984 | France | France | 2-0 | Spain |
| 1980 | Italy | West Germany | 2-1 | Belgium |
| 1976 | Yugoslavia | Czechoslovakia | 2-2 | West Germany |
| 1972 | Belgium | West Germany | 3-0 | Soviet Union |
| 1968 | Italy | Italy | 1-1 | Yugoslavia |
| 1964 | Spain | Spain | 2-1 | Soviet Union |
| 1960 | France | Soviet Union | 2-1 | Yugoslavia |
