After the first edition of the European Championship (then referred to as the European Nations Cup final) was held in 1960, only Germany, Spain and France have won the title more than once.
Germany- Three titles (1972, 1980, 1996)
1972 (West Germany vs the Soviet Union)
This European Championship marked the start of German domination and was the first time Germany (then West Germany) won the prestigious title. The final was held at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels on June 18.
West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3-0. Legendary No.9 Gerd Muller scored a brace (27,58) while Herbert Wimmer scored the other goal.
Most of the players from this German side went on to win the World Cup in 1974.
1980 (West Germany vs Belgium)
Held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on June 22, West Germany defeated Belgium 2-1.
Horst Hrubesch opened the scoring for West Germany in the 10th minute. Rene Vandereycken cancelled the goal out with a 75th-minute penalty but Hrubesch scored his second goal with a 88th-minute strike to clinch West Germany’s second Euro title.
1996 (Germany vs the Czech Republic)
The 1996 Euro final was held on 30 June at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.
After knocking out host England, Germany faced the Czech Republic, which was playing in its first European championship after the breakup of Czechoslovakia three years earlier.
Patrick Berger of the Czech Republic opened the scoring with a 59th-minute penalty but Oliver Bierhoff equalised in the 73rd minute. Bierhoff went on to score the ‘golden goal’ in the 95th minute, which won the match for Germany.
Spain- Three titles (1964, 2008, 2012)
1964 (Spain vs the Soviet Union)
The final of the 1964 European Championship was held on 21 June at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
Host Spain defeated the Soviet Union 2-1 in the final. Jesus Maria Pereda of Spain opened the scoring early in the sixth minute but Galimzyan Khushainov of the Soviet Union equalised almost immediately in the eighth minute.
With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Spain’s Marcelino scored the winner in the 84th minute and won Spain its first title.
2008 (Spain vs Germany)
The final was held on June 29 at the Ernst-Happel Stadion in Vienna, where Spain defeated Germany 1-0.
Being only the second team to win every group stage game since France in 1984, Spain clinched its second title courtesy of Fernando Torres’ solitary goal in the 33rd minute. Spain also became only the second team after Germany in 1996, to win the tournament unbeaten.
2012 (Spain vs Italy)
The 2012 Euro final was held on July 1 at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv.
In the final, Spain crushed Italy 4-0 with goals coming from David Silva (14’), Jordi Alba (41’), Fernando Torres (84’) and Juan Mata (88’).
Spain created a lot of records with the title win in 2012. It became the first team to win two consecutive European Championships and three consecutive major tournaments (2008 Euro, 2010 World Cup, 2012 Euro).
Its 4-0 victory in the final was the biggest margin of victory in a final in the history of the competition.
France- Two titles (1984, 2000)
1984 (France vs Spain)
The final of the 1984 European Championship was held on 27 June at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Making optimum utilisation of the home support, France won its first European Championship after defeating Spain 2-0 in the final.
France’s star-midfielder Michel Platini began the scoring with a wonderful free-kick in the 57th minute. It was his ninth goal of the tournament. Bruno Bellone doubled France’s lead with his 90th-minute goal.
2000 (France vs Italy)
The final was played on July 2 at the De Kuip in Rotterdam, where France defeated Italy 2-1.
Italy’s Marco Delvecchio opened the scoring in the 55th minute. Just when the match seemed lost for France, Sylvian Wiltord equalised in the 93rd minute to take the match into extra time.
David Trezeguet then scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute of extra time to win France its second Euro title.
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