The UEFA Euro has been one of the most prestigious competitions in international football for decades now. It sees Europe’s top teams compete for the trophy every four years. The European giants and associate nations first take part in a qualifying round before competing in the finals.
The tournament is always hosted in European countries. The upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 is set to be hosted in Germany. The UEFA Euro host nation for the 2028 edition has also already been decided as England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.
Also Read: Venues for UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in Germany
How are UEFA Euro hosts decided?
Only European countries or their associate nations can be among the UEFA Euro host nations. Sometimes, multiple countries come together to host the tournament.
The interested countries make a bid to get the hosting rights and UEFA’s governing body eventually selects the host. There are some requirements that UEFA European Championship hosts must meet to get selected. They should have at least 10 stadiums, with the following requirements:
- At least one stadium with 60,000+ capacity
- At least one stadium (highly preferred 2) with 50,000+ capacity
- At least 4 stadiums with 40,000+ capacity
- At least 3 stadiums with 30,000+ capacity
Along with this, the UEFA body considers the infrastructure and other factors to decide the hosts.
How have UEFA Euro hosts fared so far?
Hosting a UEFA Euro brings a lot of revenue, sporting culture and more to a nation. One would assume that the home advantage would also help them on the pitch as they look to win the trophy.
However, so far, only three countries have won the UEFA Euros as host nations – Spain (1964), Italy (1968), and France (1984).
Moreover, only three have finished as runners-up – Belgium (1980), Portugal (2004), and France (2016).
UEFA Euro Host list from 1960 to 2020
Let’s look at all the countries that have hosted UEFA Euro so far, along with the winners and the runners-up from that year.
| Host Country | Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
| France | 1960 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia |
| Spain | 1964 | Spain | Soviet Union |
| Italy | 1968 | Italy | Yugoslavia |
| Belgium | 1972 | Germany | Soviet Union |
| Yugoslavia | 1976 | Czechoslovakia | Germany |
| Italy | 1980 | Germany | Belgium |
| France | 1984 | France | Spain |
| Germany | 1988 | Netherlands | Soviet Union |
| Sweden | 1992 | Denmark | Germany |
| England | 1996 | Germany | Czech Republic |
| Belgium/Netherlands | 2000 | France | Italy |
| Portugal | 2004 | Greece | Portugal |
| Austria/Switzerland | 2008 | Spain | Germany |
| Ukraine/Poland | 2012 | Spain | Italy |
| France | 2016 | Portugal | France |
| 12 nations, England staging final | 2020 | Italy | England |
FAQs
Q. Who has won the most Euro titles in history?
A. Germany and Spain are tied at three wins each.
Q. Who won the last men’s Euros?
A. Italy won the title in Euro 2020, beating England in the final.
Q. How many times have France won the Euros?
A. France have won Euros two times – in 1984 and 200.
Q. How many times have Germany won the Euros?
A. Three times – 1972, 1980, and 1996.
Also Read: Germany Squad for Euro 2024: Who’s in and who’s out from the updated list of players?