Top 5 countries with the most European championship titles
The UEFA European Championship, popularly known as the Euros, is considered second only to the FIFA World Cup. The quadrennial event is played between the top 24 teams from Europe for a chance to be crowned the ultimate champions of the continent.
The Euros gained massive popularity due to the quality of the teams present which makes the competition intense. In the competition's 60-year history, we have had 10 different winners (Germany, Spain, Italy, Soviet Union, Greece, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Czechoslovakia and Portugal).
The beauty of the Euros lies in the competition's unpredictable nature. Fans can are rarely certain about who the clear favorite in the competition is. The underdogs have an equal chance as any top-tier team. Euro 2004, where Greece were crowned champions, is the best example of the same.
On the same note, let us take a look at the top 5 countries with the most European championship titles.
#5 Soviet Union — Winners: 1960; Runners-up: 1964, 1972, 1988
The winners of the inaugural European Championship were the Soviet Union, who qualified for the championship following Spain's exit from the tournament.
Spain refused to travel to the Soviet Union for the first leg of qualifiers, citing political reasons. This helped the Soviets secure a place in the championship following a walkover victory.
The Soviet Union emerged as a strong side in European football in the following years. They managed to appear four times in the finals and even won on one occasion.
The Soviet Union faced Yugoslavia, the team that ran riot in the qualifiers, in the final. As expected, Yugoslavia gained lead in the 43rd minute. However, six minutes later, Slava Metreveli pulled the game level for his side.
The Soviet Union edged past their opponents in extra-time to be declared the winners of the first-ever European Championship.
#4 France — Winners: 1984, 2000; Runners-up: 2016
Les Bleus' first international trophy came in the form of the 1984 Euro Cup (known as the European Championship back then). The French team led by their captain Michel Platini were playing for the first time since the inaugural championship held in 1960.
The French skipper scored nine goals from five matches and single-handedly earned the cup for the hosts. France's semi-final game against Portugal is considered one of the best Euro games played till date.
By 2000, France were capable of boasting a star-studded squad that included the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Robert Pirès, Didier Deschamps and many more. They defeated the current champions Italy (2-1) in the final after equalizing in the 90th minute.
In 2016, Les Bleus came closer to winning the title again only to be denied by Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.