England has a rich history in the UEFA European Championship, also known as the Euro Cup, having participated in the tournament nine times since its inception in 1960. In this article, we will take a look at England's performance in each of the European Championship campaigns.
The first European Championship was played in 1960, but England did not qualify for the tournament.
England's first attempt to qualify for the European Championship fell short in 1964, as they finished second in their qualifying group behind France. Only the group winners advanced to the tournament.
England's first appearance in the European Championship came in 1968, where they reached the semifinals before losing to Yugoslavia. They went on to defeat the Soviet Union in the third-place playoff, securing their first major tournament trophy.
England's failure to qualify for the 1972 European Championship was due to a shock defeat to Switzerland in their final qualifying game.
England's hopes to participate in the 1976 European Championship were abruptly ended when they were eliminated from qualifying on goal difference.
In the 1980 European Championship, England was drawn in a tough group with Belgium, Italy, and Spain. Despite earning a respectable three points, they were unable to qualify for the next round, finishing third in the group.
England's poor performance at the 1984 European Championship continued, as they were unable to win a game in the group stage. They finished last in the group behind France, Denmark, and Belgium.
England's struggles in the European Championship continued in 1988, as they were once again eliminated in the group stage. They finished third in the group behind the Soviet Union and the Netherlands.
England's failure to qualify for the 1992 European Championship was a significant upset, as they finished behind the Republic of Ireland and Poland in their qualifying group.
The 1996 European Championship proved to be a turning point for England, as they reached the semifinals before losing to Germany on penalties. Despite this, the tournament was a success for England, who hosted the tournament and managed to finish in fourth place, their best performance in the competition to that point.
England's performance in the 2000 European Championship was a major disappointment, as they failed to win a game and finished last in their group behind Portugal, Romania, and Germany.
In the 2004 European Championship, England made it to the quarterfinals before getting eliminated by Portugal in a penalty shootout. Despite being one of the favorites, they were unable to make it past the last eight.
England's failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championship was a major upset, as they were knocked out by Croatia in the qualifying stages.
England made it to the quarterfinals of the 2012 European Championship before losing to Italy on penalties. Despite a valiant effort, they were unable to make it past the last eight once again.
In the 2016 European Championship, England managed to advance to the round of 16 before being eliminated by Iceland in what was one of the biggest upsets in European Championship history.
England's fortunes in the European Championship have been mixed throughout the years. While they have reached the semifinals and quarterfinals on several occasions, they have also failed to qualify for the tournament and have been eliminated in the group stage multiple times. As the 2020 tournament approaches, England will be hoping to improve on their past performance and make a strong showing in the competition.