The European Championship is the continent's major international tournament, and has been graced by some iconic players and teams over the years.
Since the first edition of the tournament in 1960, only 10 countries have held the title of being kings of Europe. Of those 10, only three have won it more than once.
Here, Goal takes a look at every single tournament from the 1960 European Nations' Cup to Euro 2016, celebrating the winners of each title.
1960 - Soviet Union The first European Championships were held in 1960, though the format was very different to today. Just 17 teams entered, with the likes of England, West Germany and Italy all missing from what was then known as the ‘European Nations’ Cup’. Teams played home and away until the final four, with the semi-finals and final played in France. The Soviet Union won the inaugural title, beating Yugoslavia 2-1 in extra-time thanks to a 113th-minute goal from Victor Ponedelnik at the Parc des Prince. The USSR had beaten Czechoslovakia 3-0 in the semis, with Yugoslavia beating hosts France 5-4 in a thrilling game. Final scoreline: Soviet Union 2-1 Yugoslavia
1964 - Spain By 1964, the tournament had grown to 29 countries, though the home and away format remained the same. Reigning champions the Soviet Union qualified again alongside Hungary and Denmark, and eventual hosts and winners Spain. Spain snuck past Hungary 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu with the Soviet Union recording a 3-0 win over Denmark at Camp Nou. The final in Madrid got off to a lightning-fast start with the crowd of some 80,000 seeing the score tied at 1-1 after just eight minutes, but the winner didn’t come until the closing stages. Marcelino beat Lev Yashin six minutes from time to clinch Spain the victory on home soil, and prevent the USSR winning back-to-back titles. Final scoreline: Spain 2-1 Soviet Union
1968 - Italy The third instalment of the tournament brought some changes, as the European Nations’ Cup became the European Championship for the first time, and the home and away knockout phase was replaced with a group stage and quarter-finals. England and Italy qualified for the final four for the first time along with Yugoslavia and the USSR. The first semi-final finished in unusual circumstances. Italy and the USSR played out a goalless draw after 120 minutes, and so the game was settled by a coin toss – which hosts Italy won. Yugoslavia reached their second final courtesy of a late 1-0 win over world champions England, who would go on to beat the Soviet Union 2-0 in the third-place play-off. Italy and Yugoslavia drew 1-1 in the final but, rather than flip a coin, this match went to a replay. Two days later, Luigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi scored in a 2-0 win for the Azzurri. Final scoreline: Italy 2-0 Yugoslavia (R)
1972 - West Germany Thirty-two teams went into qualifying for the 1972 tournament, with eight groups each sending a winner into the quarter-finals to determine the final four. Belgium were chosen as hosts once they qualified alongside the USSR, West Germany and Hungary. The Soviet Union powerhouse reached yet another final with a 1-0 win over Hungary, but the tournament was defined by the goalscoring form of Gerd Muller. He scored both goals as West Germany beat Belgium 2-1, and got another double in the final as the Germans thrashed the USSR 3-0 to claim their first title. Final scoreline: West Germany 3-0 Soviet Union
1976 - Czechoslovakia This was the last time that the final tournament would feature just four teams, and the first time that the USSR didn’t qualify. West Germany, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia all progressed to the final four with the Netherlands also appearing for the first time. The Dutch were beaten 3-1 after extra time by Czechoslovakia, in a game which set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Every match went beyond 90 minutes. The second semi-final saw Gerd Muller take the limelight again with a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Yugoslavia, including goals in the 115th and 119th minutes. West Germany and Czechoslovakia draw 2-2 after 90 minutes in the final and didn’t score again in extra-time, meaning the game went to penalties. After Uli Hoeness missed for the Germans, up stepped Antonin Panenka. His calm chip down the middle won his nation their first title, and introduced the world to the Panenka spot kick. Final scoreline: Czechoslovakia 2-2 West Germany (Czechoslovakia won 5-3 on penalties)
1980 - West Germany The 1980 European Championship saw the final tournament extended to eight teams for the first time, though the format remained a little unusual. Split into two groups of four, the two group winners went directly to the final, with the runners-up going to the last-ever third-place play-off. West Germany topped Group 1 ahead of Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and Greece, with Belgium meeting them in the final after besting Italy, England and Spain. The third-place match was a dramatic one. After a 1-1 draw, Czechoslovakia claimed the consolation prize with a 9-8 penalty win over Italy. Horst Hrubesch was the West German hero in their third consecutive final. He scored twice, including an 88th-minute winner, to beat Belgium and claim their second title in three attempts. Final scoreline: West Germany 2-1 Belgium
1984 - France In 1984, the tournament took on a more familiar format as two groups of four returned four semi-finalists. France were chosen as hosts and made good use of home advantage. They won all three of their group games, qualifying with Denmark at the expense of Belgium and Yugoslavia. The second group brought a shock as West Germany were eliminated, with Spain and Portugal going through. Romania also went out. France edged out Portugal in a dramatic semi-final. Tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Portugal went ahead in extra time only for France to score twice in the final six minutes, their winner coming from star man Michel Platini in the 119th minute. Spain needed penalties to get past Denmark in the second semi-final, and didn’t have enough to beat France in the final. Platini scored again in a 2-0 win for the hosts, in what was the first European Championship final to feature two countries which still exist. Final scoreline: France 2-0 Spain
1988 - Netherlands An iconic tournament for a number of reasons, 1988 saw the final European Championship appearances of some of its most successful teams as, for various political reasons, West Germany, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia no longer existed by 1992. West Germany and Italy qualified from Group 1, with the USSR and the Netherlands coming through Group 2. It was a painful tournament for England, who lost all three of their group games – including the famous opener against the Republic of Ireland. Marco van Basten, who finished the tournament with five goals, scored a late winner for the Netherlands in a 2-1 win over West Germany to reach the final, while the USSR beat Italy 2-0. The final in Munich saw one of the greatest goals ever scored. Van Basten’s iconic volley against the USSR sealed a 2-0 win for the Netherlands, claiming their first major international title. Final scoreline: Netherlands 2-0 Soviet Union
1992 - Denmark Euro 1992 brought one of the biggest shocks in international history as Denmark won the title after only qualifying thanks to the disqualification of Yugoslavia. Eight teams featured, including Scotland and hosts Sweden for the first time, Germany in their first tournament since reunification, and the Commonwealth of Independent States – a transitional team for the Soviet Union. Denmark drew with England before losing to Sweden, but saved themselves in their final group game with a 2-1 win over France. France and England went out, with the two Scandinavian sides going through. The Netherlands and Germany qualified from Group 2, with the CIS finishing bottom after a 3-0 defeat to Scotland. Germany dispatched Sweden 3-2 in an entertaining semi-final, before Denmark shocked reigning champions the Netherlands on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Marco van Basten, the hero four years earlier, was the only player to miss. John Jensen and Kim Vilfort scored for Denmark in the final, beating Germany 2-0 in what is without doubt one of the greatest upsets seen in an international final. Final scoreline: Denmark 2-0 Germany
1996 - Germany Euro 96 was the year football came home although England were to come unstuck against Germany. The tournament was expanded to 16 teams for the first time, with four groups returning two quarter-finalists each. It was a low-scoring competition, with Germany the only team to register twice in a match throughout the entire knockout phase and two quarter-finals and both semis being decided on penalties. Germany beat England on penalties as Gareth Southgate missed the crucial kick, with the Czech Republic also making it through at the expense of France. The Czechs took the lead in the final through Patrik Berger, but were eventually beaten after extra-time with two goals from Oliver Bierhoff. Final scoreline: Germany 2-1 Czech Republic (AET)
2000 - France A high-scoring and well-attended tournament, Euro 2000 saw France follow up their 1998 World Cup win to become World and European champions. Zinedine Zidane was Player of the Tournament as Patrick Kluivert and Savo Milosevic shared the Golden Boot. France beat Spain and Portugal enroute to the final where they met Italy, who had knocked out the FR Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. France’s semi-final win came with a Zidane golden goal penalty in the 117th minute, and the final proved just as dramatic. Italy led in the second half through Marco Delvecchio but Sylvain Wiltord equalised in stoppage time, before David Trezeguet won it with another golden goal. Final scoreline: France 2-1 Italy (GG)
2004 - Greece The Euros began to get a reputation for shocks in 2004. Twelve years after Denmark’s win, Greece claimed the title in a tournament where Germany, Spain and Italy all went out in the group stage. After finishing second in their group behind Portugal, the Greeks got through the knockout stages in binary fashion with 1-0 wins over France and the Czech Republic. Portugal vs Greece had been the first game of the tournament, and it would also prove to be the last. Portugal knocked England out on penalties before squeezing past the Netherlands 2-1 to reach the final in Lisbon, where Greece claimed another 1-0 win. Final scoreline: Greece 1-0 Portugal
2008 - Spain Spain had spent much of their footballing history underachieving, but their golden generation lifted the first of three straight titles in 2008. Germany had been reinvigorated by their hosting of the 2006 World Cup and moved through the tournament in entertaining fashion with 3-2 wins over Portugal and Turkey in the knockout stages. Spain needed penalties to get past Italy in the quarters but picked Russia apart 3-0 to make the final. In a tight encounter in Vienna, Fernando Torres scored the only goal to win the final 1-0. Strike partner David Villa won the Golden Boot and Xavi was Player of the Tournament, paving the way for a spell of Spanish dominance at the top level. Final scoreline: Spain 1-0 Germany
2012 - Spain By now world champions, some nevertheless felt that Spain’s football was going stale by 2012. While they beat Croatia, France and Portugal on their way to the final, their football was often claustrophobic and dull, with Cesc Fabregas at times deployed as the most attacking player. They met Italy in the final, after Cesare Prandelli’s side, spearheaded by Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, had beaten England and Germany. In the end, the final was hardly a contest. David Silva and Jordi Alba had Spain 2-0 up at the break before Fernando Torres and Juan Mata rubbed salt in the wounds late on. Spain’s 4-0 win is the biggest ever win in the final of the European Championship. Final scoreline: Spain 4-0 Italy
2016 - Portugal Euro 2016 seemed destined to be France’s. They were on home soil, had a hugely talented squad, and played some excellent football throughout. They snuck past the Republic of Ireland, demolished the England-slayers of Iceland and saw off Germany 2-0 to set up a date with destiny in Paris. There, they faced a Portugal side who had only actually one won game so far. They drew all three group matches and needed penalties to see off Switzerland and Poland, before rising to see off in-form Wales with a 2-0 win. When Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off in tears after just 25 minutes, the writing seemed to be on the wall. But Portugal stood firm, and France wilted. Palpably growing more nervous as the match went on, the hosts let the occasion get to them and were stunned by Eder’s long-range winner in the 19th minute of extra time. Final scoreline: Portugal 1-0 France (AET)