England's Best Performances in the European Championship

The European Championship, or the UEFA European Football Championship, is one of the most prestigious football competitions in the world. It is held every four years and features some of the best national teams in Europe. England, one of the most successful footballing nations in the world, has a rich history in the European Championship. In this article, we will take a look at England's best performances in the competition.

1972 and 1976: Group Stage Exits

England's first appearance in the European Championship was in 1968, where they finished third. However, their performances in the next two tournaments were underwhelming. In 1972 and 1976, they failed to progress from the group stage. In the 1972 tournament, England finished third in their group, behind Belgium and West Germany. Four years later, they finished second in their group, behind Czechoslovakia. Despite having players like Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking, England couldn't find a way to advance to the knockout stages in either tournament.

1980: Group Stage Again

It wasn't until the 1980 tournament that England made it to the knockout stages. They finished runners-up in their group, behind Italy, but were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts, Spain. England's squad included stars like Ray Wilkins, Trevor Francis and Kenny Sansom, but they were unable to progress beyond the last eight.

1992: Semi-Final Defeat

England had to wait another 12 years before they could match their performance from 1980. In the 1992 tournament, they topped their group, which included France, Sweden and hosts, Sweden. They then beat Spain in the quarter-finals, before facing rivals, Germany, in the semi-finals. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, but Germany prevailed 6-5 on penalties. Alan Shearer was England's star player in the tournament, scoring three goals in five games.

1996: So Close Yet So Far

The 1996 tournament, which was held on home soil, remains England's best performance in the European Championship. They topped their group, which included Scotland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In the quarter-finals, they beat Spain on penalties, before facing rivals, Germany, in the semi-finals. The match was a tense affair, but Shearer gave England the lead in the first half. Germany equalised in the second half, and the match went to extra time. With the scores still level, the match went to penalties. Gareth Southgate missed his penalty for England, and Germany went on to win 6-5 on penalties. It was a heartbreaking end to a tournament that had promised so much for England.

2000-2016: Quarter-Final Exits

After the disappointment of 1996, England failed to progress beyond the group stage in the next two tournaments. However, they made it to the knockout stages in the next four tournaments, but were knocked out in the quarter-finals on each occasion. In 2000, they lost to Romania 3-2, in 2004 they were beaten by Portugal on penalties, in 2012 they were knocked out by Italy, and in 2016 they lost to Iceland, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.

Conclusion

England has a rich history in the European Championship, but they have only made it to the semi-finals once, in 1992. Their best performance came in 1996, when they reached the semi-finals but lost to Germany on penalties. England's fans will be hoping that their team can go further in the upcoming tournament, which will be held in 2021 after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a talented squad that includes Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, England will be hoping to add another chapter to their European Championship history.