The 8 Greatest Games in Euros History (Ranked)

Highlights

• The European Championships have seen a number of incredible games over its long history.
• The likes of England, France and Spain have been involved in some of the most entertaining football matches in the tournament.
• GIVEMESPORT now takes a look at the greatest matches in Euros history.

The summer of 2024 sees the European Football Championship celebrate its 17th tournament anniversary, with the competition having seen some of the all-time great football matches. Whether it’s been last-minute winners, goal fests or red card drama, the Euros have never failed to provide some serious drama.

GIVEMESPORT has now decided to look at the eight greatest games in Euros history, and to select them, have decided to use a number of criteria, including:

• The importance of the match
• Special moments
• Entertainment value ie goals scored, red cards etc

8 Turkey 3 – 2 Czech Republic

Euro 2008, group stage

Between Turkey and the Czech Republic, a place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 was at stake on the pitch in Geneva, Switzerland. Trailing by two goals to nil going into the final quarter of an hour, the Turks needed Arda Turan to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

In the 87th minute, it was Nihat Kahveci’s turn to put the ball past a stranded Petr Cech and give the whole country a penalty shoot-out it had never even imagined. But the then Villarreal player had other plans. Two minutes later, the striker scored twice to send Turkey through to the last eight. To everyone’s amazement, the Czech Republic were eliminated.

7 Yugoslavia 3 – 4 Spain

Euro 2000, group stage

Ten years after their last meeting in the Round of 16 at the 1990 World Cup, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Spain met in Group C at Euro 2000. It was a match rich in goals (seven in total), but above all, memorable in terms of its scenario. Trailing twice, Jose Antonio Camacho’s men managed to equalise on both occasions.

However, despite their numerical superiority following Slavisa Jokanovic’s dismissal in the 63rd minute, La Roja conceded a third goal, scored by Slobodan Komljenovic, with 15 minutes remaining. As the minutes ticked away, Spain seemed to be heading for elimination. But the team featuring Pep Guardiola showed resilience and won a penalty in the 90th minute.

Gaizka Mendieta converted it to give the Spaniards a heroic equaliser and perhaps fool everyone into thinking that would be the final act of an incredible game. However, Alfonso Perez, scorer in the first half, had other ideas, sending a left-foot shot into the back of Ivica Kralj’s net in the 97th minute, ensuring the Iberians clinched top spot in their group and leaving their Yugoslav opponents in their wake, saved at the last minute by the draw between Slovenia and Norway.

6 France 2 – 1 England

Euro 2004, group stage

On the ropes after falling behind to a goal from Frank Lampard, France came incredibly close to conceding what could have been the decisive goal. But, former Manchester United star Fabien Barthez was decisive, saving David Beckham’s penalty (73rd minute). And, as in the final of Euro 2000 four years earlier, France had to wait until the final seconds to equalise.

Zinedine Zidane beat David James with a right-footed free-kick in the 91st minute, before virtually a minute later, Thierry Henry intercepted Lampard’s back-pass and was brought down by the England goalkeeper in the penalty area. It was the perfect opportunity for Zidane to score twice and clinch France’s first victory over England in a major tournament.

5 France 4 – 5 Yugoslavia

Euro 1960, semi-final

After a brilliant qualifying phase (8-2 against Greece, 9-4 against Austria), the French team, without its two stars, Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa, welcomed Yugoslavia to the Parc des Princes. Two years after their semi-final defeat at the 1958 World Cup, in which young Pele scored a hat-trick, the French team had the chance to make history by reaching the final of the first ever European championship.

Despite their weakness, Les Bleus dominated their opponents and even led 4-2 with less than half an hour to go. With their backs against the wall, Yugoslavia had no choice but to score if they were to hope for an unlikely turnaround. In the 75th minute, Tomislav Knez whipped in a cross from the right past a far from faultless Georges Lamia.

Seconds later, the Nice goalkeeper beat him to a cross from the left, but sent the ball back to Drazan Jerkovic, who finished from close range. Yugoslavia were back on level terms, but the worst was yet to come. Less than a minute later, the same Jerkovic, in the same position as his first goal, latched onto a ball that was poorly cleared by the same Lamia, and fired the ball into the back of the net to seal Yugoslavia’s comeback.

In the space of four minutes, France went from paradise to hell, and in the process suffered the first ‘remontada’ in the history of a European Championship.

4 Spain 4 – 0 Italy

Euro 2012, final

There have certainly been more competitive or simply more memorable matches in the history of the Euros. However, Spain’s crushing 4-0 victory over Italy in 2012 was the culmination of four years of global domination.

The scoreline may have been large, but it was the manner in which it was achieved that remains etched in people’s minds today, with the Italians seemingly powerless against the holders. Vicente Del Bosque’s men put on a collective show to become the first team to retain their European crown after winning a World Cup. A true ode to ‘joga bonito’. Goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata set Spain on their way to an emphatic victory over the Azzurri, and did so with the kind of easy-on-the-eye football that had fans around the world salivating.

3 France 2 – 1 Italy

Euro 2000, final

Two years on from their first world title, France were aiming to become the first team to add a European crown. But Italy, eliminated by the same French side in the quarter-finals a couple of years earlier, were determined to thwart their plans and came so very close to succeeding.

Dino Zoff’s men took the lead thanks to a Marco Delvecchio strike and thought their victory was assured. But with the last kick of the game, Sylvain Wiltord headed David Trezeguet’s deflected effort past Francesco Toldo in the 90th minute. In extra time, with confidence shifting, Trezeguet, who set up the equaliser, turned scorer this time, volleying his left-footed effort into the Italian net in the 103rd minute. The miracle of Rotterdam.

2 Portugal 2 – 2 England (Portugal win on penalties)

Euro 2004, quarter-finals

From Euro 2004, most people remember – and rightly so – the epic Greek triumph, the shock winner of the competition. But the quarter-final between Portugal and England also had all the makings of a legendary match. Michael Owen’s early goal put the Portuguese side behind, and to try and turn things around, Luis Felipe Scolari decided to replace his star man, Luis Figo, with Helder Postiga. It was a decision that paid off, as the substitute scored the equaliser a few minutes from time (83rd minute).

In extra time, the Portuguese even managed to take the lead, thanks to a superb goal from Rui Costa (110th minute). Unfortunately for them, Frank Lampard had no intention of letting himself be eliminated and replied to his opponent in the 115th minute.

Forced into a penalty shoot-out, the two teams refused to give up. As England’s seventh penalty-taker, Darius Vassell, came up to him, goalkeeper Ricardo decided to take off his gloves. It was an unprecedented move that paid off, as the shot-stopper saved the Three Lions’ striker’s penalty. But the goalkeeper wanted to finish what he had started. He went up against David James himself and got the better of him, qualifying Portugal in a scenario worthy of the greatest Hollywood blockbusters.

1 Czechoslovakia 2 – 2 FRG (Czechoslovakia win on penalties)

Euro 1976, final

On the 4th of July 1990, after England had been eliminated by West Germany in the semi-finals of the World Cup, Gary Lineker famously said: “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win”. But that wasn’t always the case. Take the 1976 European Championship final, for example.

After upsetting Yugoslavia in the semi-final, West Germany were hoping to get the better of Anton Andrus’s Czechoslovakia. Despite going 2-0 down early on, Franz Beckenbauer’s team managed to come back and even equalise in the dying seconds.

But in the penalty shoot-out, Uli Hoeness’s miss gave Czechoslovakia the chance to be crowned champions. Antonin Panenka stepped in front of Sepp Maier and converted his spot-kick with his signature move to end Germany’s hopes. On that 20th of June 1976, Germany had well and truly fallen.