The Euro 1964 final between Spain and the Soviet Union brought spectacular and thrilling performances. Let’s revisit this historic match, where Spain won 2-1 in an emotional and dramatic game.
On June 21, 1964, the Santiago Bernabéu stadium was crowded with 79,115 spectators eager to witness the Euro final between host Spain and reigning champion Soviet Union. From the early minutes, Spain rushed to attack and put great pressure on the opponent’s goal. In the 6th minute, Marcelino passed the ball perfectly for Chus Pereda to head into the Soviet Union’s net, opening the score 1-0 for Spain.
However, Spain’s joy didn’t last long. Just 2 minutes later, Viktor Anichkin launched a long pass for Galimzyan Khusainov, who successfully capitalized on this opportunity to equalize 1-1 for the Soviet Union. The game became more balanced and tense than ever.
The turning point of the match came in the 84th minute. Pereda dribbled past Anichkin and crossed the ball into the box. Viktor Shustikov rushed out to intercept but failed, enabling Marcelino to head in at the near post, sealing a 2-1 victory for Spain.
Spain coach José Villalonga said after the game: “We played with excellent spirit. The whole team fought hard for the colors. This victory belongs to the Spanish people.”
Meanwhile, Soviet Union forward Valentin Ivanov admitted: “Spain deserved to win. They played excellently and created more chances than we did. Congratulations to them.”
Statistics show that Spain fired off 12 shots, double that of the Soviet Union. They also controlled the ball dominantly with a rate of 58%. The 2-1 win fully deserved the efforts of Spain.
The Euro 1964 championship marked a historic turning point for Spanish football. It was the first time they had won at the continental level, opening a brilliant era of success with golden generations like Raúl, Casillas, Xavi, Iniesta…
The Euro 1964 final will always be an unforgettable memory for Spanish fans. It was a historic moment when the “bullfighters” first touched the most prestigious silver cup in Europe.
⚽️ UEFA Euro 1960 to 2021 with 16 hostings and 10 national champions
⏩ Germany 3 times Euro champions (1972 – 1980 – 1996)
⏩ Spain 3 times Euro champions (1964 – 2008 – 2012)
⏩ France 2 times Euro champions (1984 – 2000)
⏩ Italy 2 times Euro champions (1968 – 2020)
⏩ Soviet Union 1 time Euro champion 1960
⏩ Czechoslovakia 1 time Euro champion 1976
⏩ Netherlands 1 time Euro champion 1988
⏩ Denmark 1 time Euro champion 1992
⏩ Greece 1 time Euro champion 2004
⏩ Portugal 1 time Euro champion 2016
With the participation of the strongest European teams according to the FIFA ranking on 15/02/2024 such as France (2) – England (3) – Belgium (4) – Netherlands (6) – Portugal (7) – Spain (8) – Italy (9) – Croatia (10) and shining stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku to promising young talents, Euro 2024 promises to bring about peak and dramatic matches.
EURO 2024 will take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024 in 10 cities in Germany with 24 participating teams. The teams are divided into 6 groups to select the first and second teams in each group, and the 4 third-ranked teams with the best performance get a ticket to the knock-out round. The opening match is held on June 14 between host Germany and Scotland.
Detailed EURO 2024 Groups:
⚽️ Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
⚽️ Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
⚽️ Group C: England, Denmark, Serbia, Slovenia
⚽️ Group D: Poland, France, Netherlands, Austria
⚽️ Group E: Slovakia, Romania, Belgium, Ukraine
⚽️ Group F: Portugal, Turkey, Czech Republic, Georgia
Topics: Spain, Soviet Union, Euro 1964, José Villalonga, Marcelino, Chus Pereda, Valentin Ivanov, Viktor Shustikov.
