These major teams have missed out on the Euros!
This summer marks the 17th anniversary of the European Football Championship, a tournament known for its spectacular matches and memorable performances. Throughout its history, some of the continent's most prominent nations have claimed the trophy. However, many significant teams have yet to secure this coveted title. This article ranks the major countries that have not won the Euro.
Turkey had to wait until 1996 to participate in their first European Championship. Although they were eliminated in the first round, the experience they gained helped them reach the quarterfinals four years later, only to be knocked out by Portugal, with Nuno Gomes scoring twice at the Amsterdam Arena. Absent from the 2004 edition, the team with the crescent and star made a remarkable comeback in 2008, delivering an outstanding performance against the Czech Republic in a crucial quarterfinal. Trailing by two goals in the final quarter of an hour, Nihat Kahveci and his teammates turned the situation around, continuing their journey to the semi-finals, where they eventually lost to Germany.
One of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's biggest regrets will undoubtedly be his inability to secure a single title for the Swedish national team. The Blagult were unfortunate semi-finalists in their first-ever European Championship in 1992 and participated in every edition from 2000 to 2020. However, after failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, the Swedes also missed out on a spot in Germany. This is a significant underperformance considering the pool of young talent available to the Scandinavian team, which may have been too inconsistent in terms of line-by-line analysis.
As detailed in the table below, from 1960 to 1976, the quarter-finals and potential last 16 of the European Championship were played outside the main tournament. The so-called "final phase" began only at the semi-final stage. This is why historical records only mention four major finals played by the Magyars. After reaching the semi-finals in 1964 and 1972, Hungary had to wait until 2016 to participate in another European Championship. In France, the Red and Whites were eliminated in the Round of 16. They couldn't replicate their success in 2020, being knocked out in the group stage. In Germany next June, the Hungarian national team, equipped with several talented players, aims to establish itself as a genuine contender.
Twenty-eight years after the release of the iconic song "Three Lions" by The Lightning Seeds, will football finally be coming home? This is the hope of the entire nation of England. A few years after the national team's heartbreaking defeat to Italy at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final, optimism is higher than ever—and for good reason. In Germany, Gareth Southgate will be able to rely on one of the finest generations of English players in history as he strives to secure the nation's first continental title. Since the inaugural European Championship in 1960, the Three Lions have never lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup in 10 appearances at the final stage. Harry Kane and his teammates are determined to rectify this anomaly.
Supporting the Belgian national team can be incredibly frustrating! Despite having a wealth of talented players for many years, they have yet to secure a major football trophy. Apart from a gold medal at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920, the Red Devils have faced numerous setbacks and disappointments. They were semi-finalists in the 1986 and 2018 World Cups, and West Germany beat the 1972 European Championship in the final of the 1980 European Championship. Now, Belgium aims to finally make its mark on the continental stage, hoping to capitalise on the last dance of its golden generation.
While so far the Euros have eluded these teams, anything can happen in the future. So, it will be unwise to count them out!
