Have Spain ever won the Euros before? Sports Mole takes a look at La Roja’s record at the tournament and how far they have gone in previous years.
Euro 2024 represents the 12th time that Spain have competed at the European Championship since the tournament was first held in France back in 1960.
Managed by Luis de la Fuente, La Roja were not considered among the outright favourites to go all the way at this summer’s tournament, but they are now just one game away from making history.
Indeed, Spain followed up a perfect group-stage campaign with victories over Georgia, host nation Germany and France in the knockout rounds to progress to Sunday’s final, where they will lock horns with England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Spain will fancy their chances of taming the Three Lions en route to continental glory, but have they ever won the Euros before?
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at Spain’s record at the Euros and how far they have gone in previous tournaments.
Euro 1964 – Champions
After failing to qualify for the first edition of the Euros in 1960, Spain became champions of what was then called the European Nations’ Cup in 1964 – the tournament changed to its current name (European Championship) four years later.
In a tournament held on home soil consisting of only four teams, Spain beat Hungary 2-1 after extra time in the semi-finals before beating the Soviet Union in the final by the same scoreline in normal time, courtesy of goals from Chus Pereda and Marcelino.
Euro 1980 – Group Stage
Spain failed to qualify for the next three European Championships before making it to Euro 1980. La Roja were one of eight nations split into two groups of four, and after drawing 0-0 with hosts Italy on matchday one, they lost their final two games to Belgium and England by 2-1 scorelines to finish rock bottom of Group 2.
Euro 1984 – Runners-up
Four years later, Spain progressed all the way to the final, albeit riding their luck to some degree as they drew three matches out of four in 90 minutes – two in the group stage before beating Denmark on penalties in the semi-finals – en route to setting up a showdown with France.
La Roja held their own for much of the showpiece event, but Les Bleus ultimately prevailed courtesy of second-half strikes from Michel Platini and Bruno Bellone.
Euro 1988 – Group Stage
Still in the two-points-for-a-win era, Spain beat Denmark 3-2 in their opening group game of Euro 1988, but they then lost to both Italy and hosts West Germany, meaning that they finished third in Group 1 and failed to advance to the final four.
Euro 1996 – Quarter-finals
Spain failed to qualify for Euro 1992, but they returned four years later and progressed to the quarter-finals of Euro 1996, which was expanded from eight teams to 16.
After finishing second in Group B with five points from three matches (two draws and one win), La Roja were beaten 4-2 on penalties by hosts England in the last eight following a goalless draw in 120 minutes.
Euro 2000 – Quarter-finals
Despite losing their opening group game to Norway, Spain beat Yugoslavia and Slovenia to secure top spot in Group C. However, La Roja crashed out in the quarter-finals once again after suffering a 2-1 defeat to France. Gaizka Mendieta’s penalty cancelled out Zinedine Zidane’s opener, but Les Bleus prevails thanks to a strike from Youri Djorkaeff.
Euro 2004 – Group Stage
Euro 2004 was a tournament full of surprising upsets and one of those was Spain getting knocked out of the group stage, suffering the same fate as Italy and Germany.
Despite picking up four points from three group games, La Roja were pipped to a top-two finish by eventual finalists Portugal and shock winners Greece.
Euro 2008 – Champions
Luis Aragones was the manager who successfully steered Spain to their first major tournament triumph for 44 years at Euro 2008.
After a perfect group-stage campaign, including a victory over holders Greece, Spain edged past Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals and convincingly beat Russia 3-0 in the semi-finals, before Fernando Torres scored the only goal in a narrow 1-0 victory over Germany in the final.
Euro 2012 – Champions
Shortly after Spain’s Euro 2008 triumph, the managerial baton was passed over to Vicente del Bosque, who oversaw a spell of dominance on the European and global stage. Spain’s first-ever World Cup victory in 2010 was followed by success at Euro 2012, with La Roja becoming the first and only country to date to retain a European Championship title.
Spain topped their group before beating France and Portugal in the knockout rounds, coming out on top against the latter on penalties in the semi-finals, to set up a showpiece event with Italy, whom they drew 1-1 with in their opening group-stage match.
La Roja had few problems breezing to victory against the Azzurri in the final, though, with goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata securing a memorable 4-0 victory in Kyiv – the biggest winning margin in the final in Euros history – to become only the second nation after Germany to win three European Championships.
Euro 2016 – Last 16
After being eliminated in embarrassing fashion from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after just two group-stage matches, two-time defending Euros champions Spain were dethroned at Euro 2016, marking the end of a dominant era under Del Bosque.
La Roja began the defence of their Euros crown with victories over Czech Republic and Turkey in the group stage, but a 2-1 defeat to Croatia forced them to settle for second place in Group D.
Spain were then outclassed by an Italy outfit who exacted revenge for their Euro 2012 final thumping, as goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle sealed a 2-0 win in the last 16.
Euro 2020 – Semi-finals
One of 12 host nations during a unique Covid-delayed Euro 2020 tournament, Spain scraped into the knockout rounds despite drawing two of their three group games, before coming out on top in an eight-goal thriller with Croatia in the last 16, winning 5-3 after extra time.
Under the tutelage of Luis Enrique, La Roja beat Switzerland on penalties in the quarter-finals before renewing their rivalry with Italy in the last four. However, it was the Azzurri who prevailed via a penalty shootout.
Alvaro Morata scored a crucial equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw and force to contest to a spot-kick duel, but the ex-Juventus striker missed his effort from 12 yards along with Dani Olmo as Italy progressed with a 4-2 win en route to winning the tournament at Wembley.
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