From the group stages to the final whistle, every UEFA European Championship has been packed with drama. Since the first tournament in 1960, superstar players from across the continent have given their all on the biggest stages, creating memories for fans young and old.
But which are the ones that stick - the epic moments you could watch over and over again and still struggle to believe they actually happened?
We spoke to football fans across the UK to uncover the greatest players in Euros football history, along with the most memorably shocking moments the tournament has produced. Plus, we got them to share their predictions for Germany 2024.
Let’s get in the game and see what the nation’s armchair experts had to say...
Who is the greatest Euros player of all time?
We’re straight in with one of the biggest questions in football: who can claim to be the greatest ever player of the European Championships?
Starting as the European Nations Cup in 1960, the Euros have seen some of the biggest names in world football grace the grass; from Cruyff to Beckenbauer, Platini to Schmeichel, Shearer to Torres to Balotelli and so many more.
But who tops the list for the supporters in the stadiums and at home?
According to 1,025 football fans across the UK aged 16 and over, there could only be one winner. With a massive 44% of the vote, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo takes the crown. Not only has he appeared at more tournaments than any other player in history (five so far – 2024 could be his sixth!), but he also tops the finals scoring charts with 14 goals. Way behind in second place is the French hardman Zinedine ‘Zizou’ Zidane with 9% of the vote. He lit up the 2000 Euro tournament – which France won - with his exciting skills, vision and prowess.
Third is current England striker Harry Kane. With 5% of the vote, Kane has already made his mark on the Euros with 27 goals in both qualifiers and the finals, putting him joint second for all time behind, you guessed it, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on 55. Both Kane and Ronaldo could feature in Euro 2024, with a chance to take their tallies further.
What is the greatest Euros goal of all time?
So while Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer, what ranks as the ultimate net-buster: the greatest Euros goal? There have been some absolute stunners down the years, and the pick of the bunch can all be found online. Take the most viewed and searched-for goals on YouTube, and we’re able to find out the ultimate fan favourites. But which goal tops the view count?
With 4 million hits, Marco van Basten’s stunning volley in the 1988 final is also considered by many to be not only the best ever Euros goal, but one of the greatest goals in football history. Utterly iconic, Dutch striker van Basten was far wide in the Soviet area when the ball arrived at his foot. He had no business scoring from there and yet – miraculously – he did, volleying the ball over the despairing keeper and into the net. Genius. And with over 2.5 million views more than second placed David Trezeguet’s golden goal for France against Italy in the 2000 final, it’s going to take some beating.
The most shocking moment in Euros history
And for every piece of sublime footwork and finishing, there are some moments that are forever notorious. Think Gazza’s “dentist-chair” celebration after his goal for England against Scotland in 1996, and you’re on the right lines. The UEFA Euro championships are littered with jaw-dropping moments and results for all kinds of reasons, so we asked the UK’s football fans to share their top five favourites.
When Wayne Rooney put England ahead from the penalty spot after just four minutes, fans could have been forgiven for assuming that they would walk all over minnows Iceland. But how wrong they were. Within 120 seconds Ragnar Sigurdsson had fired home the equaliser, and the biggest shock in Euros history was on. Before the first half was over, Kolbeinn Sigthórsson put Iceland into the lead and they held on to make history. For UK football fans, it’s the biggest Euro shock moment with 25.4% voting for this classic from 2016.
It just pips the memorable 2004 final into second place, in which Angelos Charisteas headed plucky Greece into dreamland, silencing the home support into shock and claiming the trophy in Lisbon. 24.9% voted for this as their favourite shock, with Greece beating superstar-studded host nation Portugal 1-0 to become champions for the first and only time so far.
Close behind is the barely believable 1992 final between Denmark and the much-fancied Germany, as voted for by 18.3% of UK fans. Denmark didn’t even qualify for the tournament that year but were drafted in at the last minute when Yugoslavia withdrew. A month later they were champions thanks to goals from Kim Vilfort and John Jensen, along with a great save by Peter Schmeichel from Jürgen Klinsmann.
Fan predictions for Euro 2024
So how do UK football fans think this year’s tournament will go? Who will be crowned champions in Berlin on the 14th of July, and who will take home the golden boot as top scorer? The results are in, but this time there’s no VAR – the fans have spoken, and their decision is final!
Predicted leading scorer for Euro 2024
Could this be Harry’s year? Clearly UK football fans think so, as they predict him to just pip Kylian Mbappé to be Euro 2024’s leading scorer. Harry Kane got 32.7% of the vote, with Mbappé hot on his heels with 32.5%. Kane is currently England’s all-time leading goalscorer, and he took home the Golden Boot in the 2018 World Cup with 6 goals. He’s also enjoyed the perfect start to his career in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and was leading the league scoring charts with 32 goals in April 2024.
However, lurking in third place for predicted top scorer at Euro 2024 with 15% of the vote is Cristiano Ronaldo – and despite the fact that he’ll be 39 at this tournament, he’s still a difficult player to bet against.
Predicted champions of Euro 2024
So, it all boils down to the big one: who’s going to be raising the trophy at the Olympiastadion Berlin in July? Votes are split between the football fans of the UK, but there’s a clear winner however…
Maybe it’s no huge surprise, but England are the favourites with UK football fans, with 29% voting for 2020’s beaten finalists! Over a quarter of those polled think (or hope!) that this is finally the occasion, that the stars will align, and that Gareth Southgate can lead the boys to glory to win the championship for the first time.
In second place are two-time winners France with 15% of the vote, followed closely by Portugal and Spain with 14% and 12% respectively. Three-time champions Germany come fifth with 7% of the vote, while the current champions Italy mustered 5%.
Enjoy the best of European football in your living room
Whether you agree with our findings or not one thing is for certain, and that is that Germany 2024 promises to be a cracker! You won’t want to miss a kick, and that’s why we’ve got a fantastic range of TVs to bring all the action into your home.
How big you decide to go depends on how much space you have, not to mention how much detail you’re after. Our guide to TV screen sizes should help to point you in the right direction, and you’ll find our guide to the best TV for picture quality pretty handy too.
Our range includes the LG 60 inch TV with some of the most crisp and clear picture quality you’re likely to see, and the Sony 60 inch TV which features sound from the screen with Acoustic Surface Audio +.
Or, if you’re after a Samsung large TV then take a look at a Samsung 8K TV to witness for yourself the stunning true 8K resolution, which offers four times more detail than a 4K TV.
