European Football Championship 2021

The sixteenth UEFA European Championship, initially planned for 2020, was held in June and July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven European countries hosted the twenty-four best European national teams.

Qualifications

55 teams participated in the qualifications, divided into ten groups. Interestingly, the host countries also had to participate in the qualifiers. The teams that finished first and second in their groups secured their places in the European Championship. The remaining four teams qualified after the playoff matches in each playoff group, involving teams based on their standings in the Nations League.

Host Country

Eleven European countries organized this European Championship, which is certainly one of the unique aspects of this tournament. The matches were played in Azerbaijan, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Scotland, and Spain. The quarter-final matches were held in Munich, Saint Petersburg, Rome, and Baku. The semi-finals and final were played at Wembley Stadium.

Participating Teams

As winners of their qualifying groups, the teams that participated in this European Championship were Belgium, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Spain, France, England, Croatia, Germany, and Switzerland. The second-placed teams in their groups were Russia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, and Wales. After the additional playoffs, the last four teams to participate in this tournament were North Macedonia, debuting in the European Championships, Hungary, Slovakia, and Scotland.

Baku, one of the cities where the matches of this European Championship were played. Photo: unsplash.com.

Group Stage

All teams in the group stage were divided into four groups of six. The teams that finished first and second in their groups and the four best third-placed teams advanced to the Round of 16.

In Group A, Italy secured the first place with three wins. Wales, with four points, finished second, and Switzerland, also with four points, both advanced to the Round of 16. Turkey finished last with no points. In Group B, Belgium was dominant with a perfect nine points. The second place was fiercely contested, as Denmark, Finland, and Russia each had three points. However, Denmark advanced to the Round of 16 thanks to the best goal difference among the three teams. In Group C, the Netherlands won all three matches, finishing first. Austria was second with six points, and Ukraine advanced with three points. While participating in their first European Championship, North Macedonia did not win any points but scored two goals. In Group D, one of the hosts, England, secured first place with seven points. Croatia and the Czech Republic had four points and advanced to the next stage. Scotland finished last with one point. In Group E, Sweden surprised by taking first place, with Spain finishing second, both advancing to the Round of 16. Slovakia finished third, and Poland came fourth. In the last and strongest Group F, France finished first with five points, while Germany and Portugal had four points and advanced. Hungary finished fourth with two points.

Knockout Stage

In the Round of 16, Denmark convincingly defeated Wales 4-0. Italy was better than Austria after extra time with a score of 2-1, while the Czech Republic defeated the Netherlands 2-0. Belgium eliminated the defending champions Portugal with a narrow 1-0 victory, and Spain, after extra time, defeated Croatia 5-3. Switzerland caused a major upset by eliminating France after a penalty shootout, while England, in the derby of this stage, defeated Germany 2-0. Finally, Ukraine was better than Sweden after 120 minutes, winning 2-1.

In the first quarter-final match, Spain advanced over Switzerland after a penalty shootout. Italy defeated Belgium 2-1, and Denmark won against the Czech Republic by the same score. In the last quarter-final match, England convincingly defeated Ukraine 4-0.

In the first semi-final match, Italy advanced to the final by defeating Spain on penalties after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. In the second semi-final match after extra time, England defeated Denmark 2-1.

Final

In the final at Wembley, the host England took the lead in the second minute through Shaw, but Bonucci equalized in the 67th minute. After 120 minutes, the score remained the same, leading to a penalty shootout. The Italians were better in the shootout, thus winning the European Championship in front of the English fans.

Wembley Stadium, host of the final. Photo: unsplash.com.

Statistics

The top scorers of this Championship were Patrik Schick from the Czech Republic and Cristiano Ronaldo, each scoring five goals. The best player of the European Championship was Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, marking the first time a goalkeeper received this recognition.

Legacy and impact

This European Championship was the first to be held in more than two countries, which will certainly influence the organization of future tournaments, especially since hosting matches in multiple countries reduces organizational costs while maintaining media coverage and promotion.

Interesting Facts

This European Championship was envisioned as a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the first European Championship held in France, which is one reason why many European countries participated in its organization. Additionally, it was the first time that the tournament had to be postponed for an entire year.