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The Italy national football team defeated England 1-1 (3-2 pen) in the UEFA Euro 2020 final at the Wembley Stadium to secure their second European Championship and extend their unbeaten streak to 34 matches.

This was the 16th edition of the intra-continental UEFA European Championships that was first held in 1960.

First organised in France under the European Nations' Cup banner, the inaugural elite pan-European football competition fielded 17 teams. The Soviet Union won the title by beating Yugoslavia 2–1 in the final in Paris.

Ten different countries have won the UEFA Euros. The most successful teams in the quadrennial competition have been Spain and Germany, both have won the tournament three times each.

While Germany were European football champions in 1972, 1980 and 1996 (the first two as West Germany), Spain won it 1964, 2008 and 2012. Spain are also the only team to have won the championship on two consecutive editions.

Spain’s victory in 2012 saw the most number of goals scored in a UEFA European Championship final. They won 4-0 against Italy.

Germany, meanwhile, has contested a record six Euro finals.

The other European heavyweights to have won the title are Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, the Soviet Union, Greece and Czechoslovakia.

While the UEFA European Championship is always hosted by a single or two nations, the 2020 edition was an exception with the tournament spread across 11 European cities.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) had taken this move to celebrate the tournament’s 60th anniversary. It is a one-off move as the next edition will again see a single country (Germany for Euro 2024) hosting all the games.

France was the last football team to win a UEFA European Championship title at home in 1984.

UEFA Euros winners list

Year

Winners

Runner-up

2020

Italy

England

2016

Portugal

France

2012

Spain

Italy

2008

Spain

Germany

2004

Greece

Portugal

2000

France

Italy

1996

Germany

Czech Republic

1992

Denmark

Germany

1988

Netherlands

Soviet Union

1984

France

Spain

1980

West Germany

Belgium

1976

Czechoslovakia

West Germany

1972

West Germany

Soviet Union

1968

Italy

Yugoslavia

1964

Spain

Soviet Union

1960

Soviet Union

Yugoslavia

Featured Image: Michael Regan / POOL / AFP

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