The European Championship in six tournaments

1960, France: a modest beginning

The idea of a championship for Europe's national teams was pushed for years by Henri Delaunay, UEFA's first general secretary. He died in 1955, before a ball was kicked, and the trophy still carries his name. The first edition, called the European Nations' Cup, drew 17 entrants. England, Italy and West Germany stayed out, and Spain withdrew rather than travel to the Soviet Union for their quarter-final.

Only the last four met in France. In the final in Paris the Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2–1 after extra time, with Lev Yashin in goal; three years later he became the first goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or. From that small start the tournament grew to eight teams in 1980, sixteen in 1996 and 24 in 2016.

1976, Yugoslavia: the penalty that became a word

West Germany arrived in Belgrade as world and European champions and reached the final again, against Czechoslovakia. It finished 2–2 after extra time, and for the first time a major international final went to a penalty shoot-out. Uli Hoeness sent his kick over the bar. Then Antonín Panenka, needing to score to win it, ran up as if to strike hard and instead chipped the ball gently down the middle as Sepp Maier dived away. Czechoslovakia were champions, and a penalty chipped that way has been called a Panenka ever since.

1992, Sweden: Denmark's summer

Denmark had not even qualified. They finished second to Yugoslavia, but when war in the Balkans led to Yugoslavia's exclusion, the Danes were called in to take their place less than two weeks before the tournament began, and without their most famous player, Michael Laudrup, who had fallen out with the coach.

Richard Møller Nielsen's team scraped through the group, beat the holders, the Netherlands, on penalties in the semi-final, with Peter Schmeichel saving from Marco van Basten, and then beat world champions Germany 2–0 in the final in Gothenburg. John Jensen and Kim Vilfort scored the goals. It remains the competition's great fairy tale, and the reason no team at a Euro is ever entirely written off.

2004, Portugal: Greece against everyone

Greece had never won a match at a major tournament before 2004. Under their German coach, Otto Rehhagel, they beat the hosts Portugal in the opening game, knocked out the holders France with an Angelos Charisteas header in the quarter-final, and beat the Czech Republic in the semi-final with Traianos Dellas's silver goal at the end of the first half of extra time.

In the final in Lisbon they met Portugal again, and Charisteas headed the only goal. Their football was disciplined rather than beautiful, built on organisation and set pieces, and it worked against everyone. A 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch in tears, and Theodoros Zagorakis, Greece's captain, was named player of the tournament.

2016, France: Portugal at last

The first Euro with 24 teams gave smaller nations their chance, and they took it. Wales reached the semi-finals, and Iceland, at their first major tournament, knocked England out in Nice as their fans' thunderclap rolled around the stadium.

Portugal's path was less romantic. They drew all three group games and went through as one of the best third-placed teams. In the final against France at the Stade de France, Cristiano Ronaldo went off injured in the first half, yet his team-mates held on, and Éder's long-range shot in extra time won Portugal the first major trophy in their history.

2024, Germany: Spain's fourth crown

No country has won the Euros more often than Spain. They first won it at home in 1964, then began a golden era in 2008, when Fernando Torres scored the only goal of the final against Germany in Vienna. Four years later, with the 2010 World Cup won in between, they beat Italy 4–0 in Kyiv and became the first team to retain the title.

In Germany in 2024 they won all seven of their matches, something no team had done at a Euro before. Lamine Yamal, aged 16, curled in a goal against France in the semi-final to become the youngest scorer in the competition's history. In the final in Berlin, Nico Williams scored first and Mikel Oyarzabal's late goal beat England 2–1. Rodri was named player of the tournament, and Spain had a fourth title, one more than Germany.