On July 10, 2016, history was rewritten when Portugal won their first Euro championship after a 1-0 victory over host nation France at Stade de France. The final was not only a thrilling contest between two excellent national teams but also a clash of two completely different football styles.
Portugal, under the guidance of coach Fernando Santos, played a series of tense and tight matches, drawing all three group stage matches against Iceland, Austria, and Hungary. They continued their journey by overcoming Croatia in the round of 16, defeating Poland in the quarterfinals via penalty shootout, and then beating Wales in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, France had an impressive campaign in the tournament, advancing from the group stage as the group leader. They overcame Romania and Albania before drawing with Switzerland. In the knockout stage, France defeated Republic of Ireland and Iceland, before beating Germany in the semi-finals.
The final captivated more than 75,868 spectators, along with millions of fans worldwide with a dramatic performance. The match was tense with no initial concessions from either side. Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s biggest star, had to leave the field due to an injury in the first half, presenting an even greater challenge for his team.
However, Portugal remained undeterred and continued to battle bravely. Finally, in the second minute of the second overtime, Eder, Portugal’s substitute player, scored the only goal of the match from 25 yards out, defeating France’s goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
When the final whistle blew, Portugal became the tenth country to win the European Championship, 12 years after losing their first final at home in the 2004 tournament. France, on the other hand, became the second host nation to lose a final, following Portugal, and suffered their first defeat at a major tournament held in their country since 1960.
The 2016 tournament will always be remembered as a competition that marked Portugal’s rise and demonstrated that passion and love for the game can lead to great success.
⚽️ UEFA Euro 1960 to 2021 with 16 editions and 10 championship countries
⏩ Germany 3 times Euro champion (1972 – 1980 – 1996)
⏩ Spain 3 times Euro champion (1964 – 2008 – 2012)
⏩ France 2 times Euro champion (1984 – 2000)
⏩ Italy 2 times Euro champion (1968 – 2020)
⏩ Soviet Union Euro champion 1960
⏩ Czechoslovakia Euro champion 1976
⏩ Netherlands Euro champion 1988
⏩ Denmark Euro champion 1992
⏩ Greece Euro champion 2004
⏩ Portugal 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 bright stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku to promising young talents, Euro 2024 promises to bring 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-place teams in each group, and the 4 third-place teams with the best performance to get a ticket to the knock-out round. The opening match is held on June 14 between host Germany and Scotland.
EURO 2024 detailed 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
