6 Best European Championship Finals in Football History (Ranked)

The European Championships have delivered some of the most memorable football moments since the first tournament was held in 1960. Karel Poborsky’s scooped lob, Wayne Rooney’s bullying brilliance, Hal Robson-Kanu’s Cruyff turn and many, many more golden exploits have left an indelible mark on the competition’s illustrious legacy.

Finals are not always the ideal breeding ground for glorious feats of skill and wonder. The tension of a month-long slog to the showpiece event often weighs heavy on the shoulders of both sides in contests that are regularly overshadowed by matches at earlier stages of the tournament.

Although that’s not to say that every final has been an obdurate affair. The Euros, arguably more so than the World Cup, have saved some of their best moments until the end. Here’s a look back at six of the best finals from previous tournaments, using a range of factors to create the rankings.

Ranking Factors

• Shock
  – A triumphant end to an underdog story is the best possible outcome of a tournament.
• Excitement
  – Beyond the reputation of either team, the actual events of the final have to be considered.
• Expectation
  – The showpiece events that live up to their billing – or even exceed expectations – have been ranked favourably.

6 Czechoslovakia vs West Germany

Euro 1976

Czechoslovakia and West Germany qualified for the finals in 1976 as quarter-final winners in a slightly different format to the modern-day Euros. In a tournament that began with a semi-final tie, Czechoslovakia overcame the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time to progress to the final, while West Germany also required additional time to beat host nation Yugoslavia, largely thanks to a Dieter Muller hat-trick.

It was West Germany’s second consecutive final, and they hoped to defend their crown against a stubborn Czechoslovakia side. The European champions went behind early after a Jan Svehlik strike, and Czechoslovakia caused further surprise by doubling their advantage after 25 minutes. West Germany didn’t take long to find a response, with semi-final hero Muller again finding the back of the net to half the deficit heading into half-time. A hard-fought second half followed. Czechoslovakia thought they had won it until Bernd Holzenbein equalised for the European champions dramatically with one minute of normal time remaining in the game.

Neither side could take advantage during extra time, taking the game to a penalty shootout, the very first final to do so in the tournament’s history. Czechoslovakia scored all five penalties, the last of which was Antonin Panenka’s infamous chip to secure their first European title and break West Germany’s hearts.

5 Soviet Union vs Netherlands

Euro 1988

The Netherlands and the Soviet Union reached the final of Euro 1988 after starting the tournament in the same group. The Soviets topped the initial standings as the Netherlands progressed in second place after coming up short against their rivals in the group stages, falling to a 1-0 defeat. Both sides faced stiff competition in the semi-finals, with the Netherlands impressively beating West Germany and the Soviet Union easing past Italy to advance to the final.

The 1988 final will always be remembered for Marco van Basten’s stunning second-half volley to double the Netherlands’ lead after their captain, Ruud Gullit, had put their noses in front before half-time. Van Basten’s mind-boggling effort is arguably one of the greatest goals scored at a major tournament, as the Dutch maestro watched the ball come from deep and volleyed the ball home from a tight angle. This was the Netherlands’ first and only European Championship title, and they have failed to reach the final since.

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4 Denmark vs Germany

Euro 1992

The story of Denmark in Euro ’92 is an astonishing one. They originally failed to qualify for the tournament, and only did so following the disqualification of Yugoslavia as a result of the breakup of their country. Denmark impressively navigated a tough group containing Sweden, England and France, finishing in second place. Germany also progressed to the knockout stages after finishing second in their group.

Germany squeezed past Sweden 3-2 in the semi-final, while Denmark caused a huge upset by beating the Netherlands on penalties to progress to the showpiece event. Denmark remained outsiders against the reigning world champions. The underdog label appeared to spur Denmark on and give them an extra lift. John Jensen’s strike gave the Danes a narrow half-time lead. After relentlessly exploiting the back-pass law to eke out the remaining minutes, Kim Vilfort eased Danish nerves by doubling their advantage and capping an unbelievable story.

3 France vs Italy

Euro 2000

After proving many doubters wrong and lifting the World Cup in 1998 under Aime Jacquet’s guidance, France were keen to show the football world that it wasn’t a one-off. They started the tournament in Group D with the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic. France lost once in the group stages against Group D winners, the Netherlands. The defeat against the Dutch meant France would have to settle for a second-place finish and a more difficult fixture in the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Italy topped Group B, which included Turkey, Belgium and Sweden.

Italy eased to victory over Romania in the quarter-finals, while France squeezed past Spain. Both sides required extra time in the semi-finals, as Italy triumphed against the Netherlands on penalties and France beat Portugal, thanks to a golden goal by Zinedine Zidane in the 117th minute.

The final was a pulsating one with 29 shots between the two sides throughout the game, four bookings and a climactic finish. Italy had taken the lead 10 minutes after the restart through Marco Delvecchio, but the real drama was to follow. Sylvain Wiltord levelled the game with virtually the last kick, snatching victory out of Italian hands. It got worse for Italy as David Trezeguet scored the golden goal in extra time to crown France European champions.

2 Spain vs Italy

Euro 2012

Spain were the dominant force in football in 2012; they had lifted the previous European Championship and the World Cup. La Roja were aiming for history as the first side to win three consecutive major tournaments. Spain and Italy began Euro 2012 in the same group, with Spain topping the pile and Italy runners-up. Neither side lost a game in Group C. Spain eased past France in the quarter-finals, and Italy dumped England out of the tournament in yet another unsuccessful penalty shootout for the Three Lions. Spain’s semi-final was a lot more difficult to navigate, requiring penalties to overcome a stubborn Portugal side and book their place in the final. Italy impressively beat Germany 2-1 to set up an exciting final.

Spain were unsurprisingly favourites, but Italy’s draw in Group C gave the current world and European champions something to think about heading into the final. Any nerves Spain had as they embarked on a historic treble were eased when David Silva put them in front after 14 minutes. Italy’s heads dropped and Spain became relentless, doubling their lead before half-time to put them on the brink of history. Fernando Torres and Juan Mata added two late goals to cement Spain’s legacy as one of the most dominant sides in football history.

Euro 2012 Final Details
Stadium	Olympic Stadium, Kyiv
Score	Spain 4-0 Italy
Spain goalscorers	David Silva (14′), Jordi Alba (41′), Fernando Torres (84′), Juan Mata (88′)
Italy goalscorers	N/A

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1 Portugal vs Greece

Euro 2004

Greece’s triumph in Euro 2004 is the true definition of an underdog story. They were placed as 150/1 outsiders by the bookmakers to win the tournament before a ball was even kicked. It’s fair to say, they ripped up the script and caused several upsets along the way, none more so than in the final against hosts, Portugal. The sides were familiar with each other, having begun the tournament in Group A, Portugal topped it, while Greece astonishingly pipped Spain to the runners-up position.

Portugal scraped past England on penalties in the quarter-finals, while Greece shocked everyone by beating defending champions France. Portugal booked their place in the final by overcoming the Netherlands, while Greece needed extra time to fend off the Czech Republic and secure an unlikely place in the final. Greece upset the odds throughout the tournament, and the final was no different. After a cagey first half, Angelos Charisteas headed home what turned out to be the winner after 57 minutes to complete a remarkable story and crown Greece as European champions.

Euro 2004 Final Details
Stadium	Estadio da Luz, Lisbon
Score	Portugal 0-1 Greece
Portugal goalscorers	N/A
Greece goalscorers	Angelos Charisteas (57′)

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Match details sourced from BBC Sport.