UEFA Euro 2008 facts for kids
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host countries | Austria Switzerland |
| Dates | 7 June – 29 June |
| Teams | 16 |
| Venue(s) | 8 (in 8 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Spain (2nd title) |
| Runners-up |  Germany |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 77 (2.48 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,140,902 (36,803 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | David Villa (4 goals) |
| Best player | Xavi |
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, also known as Euro 2008, was a big football tournament. It was the 13th time this championship was held. The countries of Austria and Switzerland hosted the event. It took place from June 7 to June 29, 2008.
Spain won the tournament. They beat Germany 1-0 in the final match. Spain was super strong! They were the first team since Germany in 1996 to win the Euro without losing any games.
Sadly, Greece, who won the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament, did not do well this time. They finished last in their group and did not earn any points.
Teams That Played
Sixteen national football teams qualified to play in the Euro 2008 tournament. These teams came from all over Europe.
Here are the teams that made it to the finals:
- Austria (as a host country)
- Switzerland (as a host country)
- Poland
- Portugal
- Italy
- France
- Greece
- Turkey
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Croatia
- Russia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Romania
- Netherlands
The Big Final Match
The final game of Euro 2008 was played on June 29, 2008. It was an exciting match between Germany and Spain.
| 29 June 2008 20:45 |
Germany |
0 – 1 | Spain |
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna Attendance: 51,428 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Torres  33' |
Fernando Torres scored the only goal for Spain in the 33rd minute. This goal made Spain the champions of Euro 2008! The game was held at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria. Over 51,000 fans watched the match.
How Teams Finished
Here's how the top teams ended up in the tournament:
- 1st Place: Spain - They were the champions!
- 2nd Place: Germany - They were the runners-up.
- Semi-finalists: Russia and Turkey - These teams made it to the semi-finals.
- Quarter-finalists: Croatia, Netherlands, Portugal, and Italy - These teams reached the quarter-finals.
The other teams were eliminated earlier in the group stage. Greece finished in 16th place, which was last.
Images for kids
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The Spanish football team touring Madrid as champions
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Performance of the participating countries during Euro 2008
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Cesc Fàbregas celebrating Spain's Euro 2008 title
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Spain midfielder Xavi was selected as the Player of the Tournament.
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A large model of the adidas Europass prior to the final between Germany and Spain
See also
In Spanish: Eurocopa 2008 para niños
