DSince its first edition in 1960, the Eurocup has been played a total of 17 times. Up to ten different teams have managed to lift one of the most important trophies at the continental level, but there are many of the considered best players in the world who have not managed to win the European Championship with their national teams. Players who have marked a before and after for their teams, but whose attempts to win this trophy have been null and void.
Raúl González (Spain)
The captain of the National Team went on to play in two European Championships with La Roja. The first of them in 2000, based in Belgium and the Netherlands. After passing as first in group C, in which Spain had Norway, Slovenia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as rivals, Raúl scored his first goal in the 1-2 victory against the Slovenians. However, France ended up eliminating the Spanish team in a quarterfinal in which Raúl was the protagonist, missing a penalty when La Roja lost 2-1.
In the Euro 2004held in Portugal, Spain ended up eliminated in a group stage that it shared with Russia, Greece and Portugal. Raúl played all three games, but did not score any goals. Spain’s balance in that Euro was one victory, one draw and one defeat, four points that were insufficient to advance to the round of 16.
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
Buffon is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football. His career and track record support this. The Italian has played in four European Championships and five World Cups, managing to win the World Cup in 2006. However, in the Euro Cups the result has been very different, runner-up in 2012 being the greatest achievement.
An injury before the start of the Euro Cup in 2000 deprived the Italian goalkeeper of playing in the most important continental tournament. Four years later, Italy did not advance from the group stage at the Euro held in Portugal. The goal difference prevented Italy from progressing to the round of 16 by finishing with five points, like Sweden and Denmark. In 2008, Spain was his executioner. The Italians fell on penalties in the quarterfinals. In 2012, history with La Roja was repeated again, but this time in the final and with the result of 4-0. In his last Euro Cup, in 2016, Italy finished as leader of group E with Belgium, Ireland and Sweden; In the round of 16 they eliminated Spain, but In the quarterfinals, Germany eliminated them again in a penalty shootout.
Luís Figo (Portugal)
The Portuguese played three Euro Cups and two World Cups with the Portuguese team, but in none of these championships Portugal was able to win the title of champion. The first time Figo played in the Euros was in 1996, held in England. The Portuguese team finished first in group D with Denmark, Türkiye and Croatia. Precisely against the Croatians, Figo scored his first goal in a European Championshipbut Portugal finished eliminated in the quarterfinals (there were no round of 16) before the Czech Republic.
In the 2000 Euro Cup, Portugal was once again the leader of the group that included England, Romania and Germany. Figo made his debut in the 3-2 victory against the English, scoring his first and only goal in that European Championship. After eliminating Turkey in the quarterfinals, Portugal ended up eliminated in the semifinals against France. In his last Euro Cup, in 2004, Figo did not score a goal, but gave two assists. Portugal lost the final against Greece.
Steven Gerrard (Inglaterra)
The English football legend has played in two European Championships. In the first of them, in 2000, England did not go beyond the group stageonly won one game, against Germany, and lost to Portugal (3-2) and Romania (2-3) with a penalty goal in the 89th minute.
Gerrard did somewhat better at Euro 2004. England finished second in group B, whose rivals were France, Switzerland and Croatia. In the 3-0 victory against the Swiss, Gerrard scored his first goal in a European Championship. At that time there were no round of 16, so In the quarterfinals they were eliminated against Portugal in an exciting penalty shootout that ended 6-5.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Ibrahimovic has the achievement of having participated in two World Cups and four European Championships with the Swedish team. In its first Euro Cup, in 2004, Sweden went to the quarterfinals as leader of group C where there were rivals such as Italy, Denmark and Bulgaria. Zlatan scored two goals, one against Bulgaria in a 5-0 win, and the second in the draw against Italy. In the quarterfinals they were eliminated by the Netherlands on penalties.
In 2008 Sweden did not advance to the group stage and Ibra again finished with two goals. The first in the victory against Greece and the second in the defeat against Spain by 1-2. In the next European Championship, in 2012, Sweden again did not advance beyond the group stage, although Ibrahimovic again did not fail in his appointment with the goal., he scored two goals, one against Ukraine and another against France. In In his last Euro Cup, in 2016, Zlatan did not score a goal and Sweden did not win a gameending up eliminated again in the group stage.
Francesco Totti (Italy)
Totti has played two European Championships and two World Cups with the Italian team, but like Buffon, He was on the verge of winning a title he has never won.. In Euro 2000, the ‘Azurri’ reached the final, but lost to France 2-1. The Italian midfielder played five games and scored two goalsin the group stage against Belgium and in the quarterfinals against Romania.
At Euro 2004, Italy did not advance beyond the group stage. The goal difference prevented Italy from progressing to the round of 16 by finishing with five points, like Sweden and Denmark. Totti only played one game, against Denmark, since it was banned for three games for spitting on Poulsen.
Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
The Dutch star has only played in one European Championship throughout his career. It was in the 1976 Euro held in Yugoslavia in which only four teams participated.: Federal Germany, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands and Yugoslavia. In the match corresponding to semi-finals they lost 3-1 to Czechoslovakia and in the match that decided the third and fourth place, they beat Yugoslavia 3-2.
David Beckham (England)
The English football legend has played in two European Championships. In the first of them, in 2000, England did not go beyond the group stageonly won one game, against Germany, and lost to Portugal (3-2) and Romania (2-3) with a penalty goal in the 89th minute. Beckham played all three group stage games and did not score a goal.
At Euro 2004 England finished second in group B, whose rivals were France, Switzerland and Croatia. At that time there were no round of 16, so In the quarterfinals they were eliminated against Portugal in an exciting penalty shootout that ended 6-5. The Englishman played all the games, but As in 2000, Beckham did not score in the entire competition.
Michael Ballack (Germany)
The ‘little kaiser’ has played in three European Championships. In 2000 and 2004, Germany was eliminated in the group stage. In the first, they finished last in a group made up of Portugal, Romania and England. Four years later, Germany finished third in group D, whose rivals were the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Latvia. In fact, Against the Czechs, the midfielder scored his first and only goal of the Euro Cup.
At Euro 2008 held in Austria and Switzerland, Germany reached the final and Ballack scored two goals. The first in the victory against Austria in the group stage and the second was in the quarterfinals against Portugal (2-3). After eliminating Turkey in the semifinals, The Germans could not defeat Spain in the final.
Paolo Maldini (Italy)
Maldini is an icon in Italian football. With the ‘Azurri’ he played 126 games in which he was the captain in 74 of them. Under the leadership of the Italian defense, he played in three European Championships and four World Cups. In its first Euro, in 1988, Italy reached the semifinals where it lost to the Soviet Union.
Your next Euro Cup it was in 1996 and the Italians could not get past the group stage. They had the best result in the Euro Cup of the year 2000 in which they arrived at the finalbut France emerged champion after winning 2-1.
Frank Lampard (England)
Frank Lampard’s first European Championship with England was in 2004. The English midfielder scored two goals in the group stage, against France and Croatia. However, in the quarterfinals the English were eliminated against Portugal in the penalty shootout.
His next Euro Cup was in 2012 held in Poland and Ukraine. After passing as first in group D with rivals such as France, Ukraine and Sweden, again on penalties, but this time against Italy, England were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
Nedved, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2003, played in three European Championships. The first of them, the 1996 Euro Cup, played five games and scored a goal, against Italy in the group stage. After eliminating Portugal in the quarterfinals and France in the semifinals, They lost the final to Germany 1-2.
In their next European Championship, in 2000, the Czech team did not advance beyond the group stage in which they only won one game, against Denmark. Pavel Nedved did not score a goal on that occasion. In its last European Championship, in 2004, the Czech Republic finished as leader of group D with rivals such as Germany, the Netherlands and Latvia. In the quarterfinals they eliminated Denmark, but in the semifinals they lost 1-0 to Greece which, in the end, would be the team that would win the European Championship held in Portugal.
