Remembering England’s performances at the last five European Championships

As Euro 2024 approaches, it is a fitting moment to reflect on England’s journey through the previous five European Championships.

Each tournament has been a rollercoaster of emotions for fans, marked by moments of sheer brilliance and devastating heartbreak.

With England to win Euros odds firmly in Gareth Southgate’s side’s favor, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit England’s performances from Euro 2004 to Euro 2020.

Euro 2004

Held in Portugal, Euro 2004 saw the rise of a new star in Wayne Rooney. The then 18-year-old striker dazzled with his performances, scoring four goals in the group stages and capturing the imagination of the nation.

England progressed to the quarter-finals, where they faced hosts Portugal. In a dramatic match that ended 2-2 after extra time, England’s journey was heartbreakingly cut short in a penalty shootout, losing 6-5.

Despite the disappointment, and Rooney fracturing his metatarsal, the striker’s emergence was still a silver lining in an otherwise bittersweet campaign.

Euro 2008

Euro 2008 is remembered for England’s conspicuous absence, as for the first time since 1984, the Three Lions failed to qualify for the European Championships.

Under Steve McClaren’s management, the team struggled in the qualification campaign, most notably with a 3-2 loss to Croatia at Wembley sealing their fate.

The failure to reach the tournament prompted widespread criticism and led to McClaren’s dismissal. It was a period of reflection and rebuilding for English football.

Euro 2012

Poland and Ukraine co-hosted Euro 2012, where England, managed by Roy Hodgson, showed resilience in the group stage.

They topped their group, with notable performances including a thrilling 3-2 victory over Sweden and a hard-fought 1-0 win against Ukraine.

In the quarter-finals, England faced Italy. The match ended in a goalless draw, but once again, penalties proved to be England’s undoing.

Italy triumphed 4-2 in the shootout, leaving England to ponder another what-could-have-been scenario.

Euro 2016

Euro 2016 in France started with high hopes for England but ended in arguably one of their most humiliating defeats.

After an underwhelming group stage, which saw them win just one of their three games, England faced Iceland in the Round of 16.

Despite taking an early lead through a Rooney penalty, England were quickly pegged back and went on to lose 2-1.

The result was a national embarrassment, leading to the resignation of manager Roy Hodgson and prompting a period of intense scrutiny and criticism of the team.

Euro 2020

Postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Euro 2020 was a tournament of near triumph for England.

The team progressed to the final for the first time in the tournament’s history, with standout moments including a victory over Germany in the Round of 16 and a dramatic extra-time win against Denmark in the semi-finals, utilising home soil. 

England faced Italy in the final at Wembley and Luke Shaw’s early goal sparked scenes of jubilation across the nation. 

However, the Azzurri equalised and the match went to penalties, where the Three Lions’ penalty curse continued as they lost 3-2 to Roberto Mancini’s side.

England’s performances in the European Championships have been a mixed bag, but this is arguably their best chance to win the tournament for the first time and they look like a solid choice if you have Euro 2024 free bets.