List of UEFA European Football Champions facts for kids
The UEFA European Football Championship, often called the "Euro," is a huge football tournament for men's national teams from Europe. It's organized by UEFA, which is the governing body for football in Europe. This exciting competition happens every four years, usually in the summer, between the FIFA World Cups.
The Euro is one of the most watched football events in the world, second only to the World Cup. It brings together the best European teams to compete for the championship title. Winning the Euro is a massive achievement for any country, showing they are the best in Europe!
Euro Champions: A Look Back
Since it started in 1960, many different countries have lifted the Euro trophy. The tournament has changed a bit over the years. For example, in the early years, there was a match for third place. But since 1984, they stopped playing that match, and instead, the two teams that lose in the semi-finals are both considered third place.
Here's a list of all the champions, runners-up, and third-place teams (or semi-finalists) from the Euro tournaments:
What do the scores mean?
- aet means "after extra time." If a match is a draw after 90 minutes, they play two extra halves of 15 minutes each.
- ps means "penalty shootout." If the score is still tied after extra time, the teams take turns shooting penalties until a winner is decided.
- asdet means "after sudden death extra time." This was a rule where the first team to score in extra time won the game immediately. It's also known as the "golden goal" rule.
Who Are the Top Teams?
Some countries have been very successful in the Euro over the years. This table shows how many times each country has won, been a runner-up (lost in the final), or reached the semi-finals (made it to the top four).
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Semi-finalists | Top 2 | Top 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Germany |
3 (1972, 1980, 1996) | 3 (1976, 1992, 2008) | 3 (1988, 2012, 2016) | 6 | 9 |
 Spain |
3 (1964, 2008, 2012) | 1 (1984) | — | 4 | 4 |
 France |
2 (1984, 2000) | 1 (2016) | 2 (1960, 1996) | 3 | 5 |
 Soviet Union/ Russia |
1 (1960) | 3 (1964, 1972, 1988) | 2 (1968, 2008) | 4 | 6 |
 Italy |
1 (1968) | 2 (2000, 2012) | 2 (1980, 1988) | 3 | 5 |
 Portugal |
1 (2016) | 1 (2004) | 3 (1984, 2000, 2012) | 2 | 5 |
 Czechoslovakia/ Czech Republic |
1 (1976) | 1 (1996) | 3 (1960, 1980, 2004) | 2 | 5 |
 Netherlands |
1 (1988) | — | 4 (1976, 1992, 2000, 2004) | 1 | 5 |
 Denmark |
1 (1992) | — | 2 (1964, 1984) | 1 | 3 |
 Greece |
1 (2004) | — | — | 1 | 1 |
 Yugoslavia |
— | 2 (1960, 1968) | 1 (1976) | 2 | 3 |
 Belgium |
— | 1 (1980) | 1 (1972) | 1 | 2 |
 England |
— | — | 2 (1968, 1996) | 0 | 2 |
 Hungary |
— | — | 2 (1964, 1972) | 0 | 2 |
 Wales |
— | — | 1 (2016) | 0 | 1 |
 Turkey |
— | — | 1 (2008) | 0 | 1 |
 Sweden |
— | — | 1 (1992) | 0 | 1 |
