Spain and Spaniards around the world are bursting into wild celebrations on Sunday night after their national team won the European Football Championship, known in Europe as the ”Euros” or simply Euro 2024.
Hundreds of thousands of people have already run to the streets of all major cities in Spain and are celebrating triumphantly the long-anticipated victory of their beloved national team.
This is the fourth time Spain won the UEFA European Championship and millions of fans across the continent and beyond are expected to celebrate wildly this amazing performance.
Spain scored first, 47′ in the game with a majestic goal by Nico Williams. The English turned the tide soon when Cole Palmer scored for the three lions in 73′. Unfortunately for them, however, Spain hadn’t said its final word. Mikel Oyarzabal scored for the Mediterranean nation in 86′, securing the victory for the Spanish.
The journey of the team throughout the tournament was truly remarkable. From the group stages to the knockout rounds, Spain showed that despite initial problems during the competition, their ability to overcome them and deliver when it mattered most was unmatched.
What are the Euros that Spain won?
The UEFA European Championship, as the Euros are officially known, is a European international football championship that takes place every four years. It is organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and there is a men’s and women’s version, with the former attracting significantly more attention and popularity.
The very first Euros was held in the distant 1960. Under its current form, the tournament features a total of 24 teams. These national teams that represent their nations, compete over the course of approximately one calendar month in a host nation or nations who bid years in advance to ensure that the competition will take place in their territory.
In the last several years there has been a trend where two or more countries bid together to host the competition, in an attempt to spread the cost, which is significantly high. It has to be noted for those unfamiliar with European sports that the Euros are the second-most watched football event in the world after the FIFA World Cup.
The tournament begins with a group stage, where the national teams that have managed to qualify for the competition are divided into six groups of four.
The two teams that finish first and second in their respective groups, along with the four best third-place finishers, advance to the knockout stages that eventually lead to the finals.
As of 2021, Spain have won the most titles with four titles, followed by Germany with three and France and Italy with two. Greece won one European championship in 2004 when the nation stunned the football world with Otto Rehhagel’s astonishing path to victory.
