Euro 2024: From Welsh wizards to Greek gods, the biggest upsets in European Championship history
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Updated 18/06/2024 at 11:26 GMT+1
The Euros have given fans some stunning moments over the years, from the Republic of Ireland beating England at their first major tournament to Greece winning the trophy with a remarkable victory over a legend-laden Portugal side. There could be more of the same this summer, with some dark horses ready to stun the established giants of European football in Germany.
Southgate hopes Iceland loss will help England ‘focus the mind’
The European Championship has been home to some of the biggest upsets in the history of football over the years.
The tournament provides some of Europe's relative minnows the chance to battle some behemoths of the beautiful game.
From Iceland to Ireland, there have been a selection of momentous shocks over the years that can give hope to the underdogs this summer in Germany.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the greatest upsets in the history of the European Championship ahead of the tournament beginning on Friday.
2016 Round of 16: Iceland 2-1 England
Eight years ago, Iceland handed England their most embarrassing defeat at a major tournament since the Three Lions were knocked out of the 1950 World Cup by USA.
The stats were not pretty. Iceland had a population of just 330,000 at the time and were ranked 34th in the world.
It all started so well, with Wayne Rooney scoring a fourth-minute penalty, but goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson dumped Roy Hodson's side out of Euro 2016.
It may have been the end of their tournament, but England responded by conjuring a new era of success from the ashes of their most crushing defeat - five years later, the Three Lions would reach their first major final since 1966.
1992 Final: Denmark 2-0 Germany
Denmark's victory in 1992 was astonishing for any number of reasons. Not only did they oust more decorated and fancied opposition, not least a star-studded German side in the final, but they weren't even supposed to be there in first place.
The Danes didn't qualify for the tournament, but were drafted in two weeks before it started following the withdrawal of Yugoslavia.
John Jensen and Kim Vilfort were the scorers in their improbable 2-0 victory in the final.
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Danish players celebrate their victory after defeating Germany 2-0 in the Euro92 soccer championship final 26 June 1992 in Gothenburg, earning their first-ever European title.
Image credit: Getty Images
2016 Quarter-Final: Wales 3-1 Belgium
Wales' extraordinary run in France came at the expense of Belgium's much-lauded 'golden generation', as goals from Ashley Williams, Sam Vokes and an iconic Hal Robson-Kanu finish sealed a superb win in the last eight.
Belgium were the No. 2-ranked team in the world at the time, while Wales were European Championship debutants competing in their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.
A semi-final defeat to eventual winners Portugal did little to dampen a stunning run from Chris Coleman's men.
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Hal Robson-Kanu of Wales turns Thomas Meunier and Marouane Fellaini of Belgium inside out as he scores his team'a 2nd goal during the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Wales and Belgium
Image credit: Getty Images
2020 Round of 16: France 3-3 Switzerland (4-5 on penalties)
France were hot favourites going into Euro 2020, which took place in 2021 after being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Led by Kylian Mbappe, Didier Deschamps' star-studded side were the reigning world champions and nobody saw their defeat at the first knockout hurdle coming.
Les Bleus were 3-1 up with nine minutes left, but Haris Seferovic completed his brace before Mario Gavranovic equalised in the 90th minute to send the game into extra-time. A Yann Sommer-inspired Swiss side then triumphed on spot kicks.
2024 Group Stage: Belgium 0-1 Slovakia
Slovakia pulled off a massive upset in beating Belgium 1-0 in the Group E fixture at Euro 2024. Ranked third in the world, the Belgians were favourites to top the group but lost in dramatic circumstances.
Romelu Lukaku let an early chance slip before a mistake at the other end by Jeremy Doku was pounced upon by the Slovakians, ranked 45 places below their opponents, as Ivan Schranz opened the scoring in the seventh minute.
Chances continued to come and go for Belgium, but they did find the net twice in the second half. Lukaku finally got the goal he craved, only for it to be chalked off for offside, before he was denied again with less than three minutes of normal time remaining.
The striker steered in Lois Openda’s cross to spark wild scenes of celebration, but it was ruled out for the faintest of handballs in the build-up, consigning Domenico Tedesco's side to defeat.
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Romelu Lukaku of Belgium reacts dejectedly during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Belgium and Slovakia at Frankfurt Arena on June 17, 2024.
Image credit: Getty Images
2004 Final: Portugal 0-1 Greece
Olympiacos became the first Greek club to win a European club trophy this season, but no one will ever forget when the Greek national team reached the pinnacle of European football.
Greece pulled off one of the biggest shocks in football history as Angelos Charisteas scored from a corner to clinch their first and only major international trophy.
Portugal's squad included legends like Rui Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Deco, but they were undone on home soil as Greece became the first country to claim their maiden title at a major championship since Denmark's triumph in 1992.
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: Greece celebrate with the trophy after winning the UEFA Euro 2004, Final match between Portugal and Greece at the Luz Stadium on July 4, 2004 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Image credit: Getty Images
1988 Group Stage: England 0-1 Republic of Ireland
Jack Charlton helped England achieve their greatest-ever win back in 1966, but he also inflicted one of their worst defeats in 1988.
He led the Republic of Ireland to a 1-0 win over England in Stuttgart, with Ray Houghton scoring as the Three Lions got their tournament off to the worst possible start.
Things went from bad to worse for an England team that included John Barnes and Gary Lineker, with Bobby Robson's side suffering three defeats and finishing the tournament bottom of their group.
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Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton, right, and assistant manager Maurice Setters celebrate at the final whistle of the UEFA European Football Championship Finals Group B match between England and Republic of Ireland
Image credit: Getty Images
1996 Group Stage: Czech Republic 2-1 Italy
After a 2-0 defeat against Germany in their first match of the Championship, few fans expected much from the Czech Republic when they faced World Cup finalists Italy at Euro 1996.
However, a Radek Bejbl masterclass turned the match on its head, with Dusan Uhrin's side coming out on top in Liverpool.
Bejbl and the sensational Pavel Nedved scored either side of an Enrico Chiesa strike to secure a historic win.
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