Top 10 Biggest Euros Upsets

Coming into the 2024 Euros, Slovakia wasn’t expecting to progress too far. After all, they only managed to qualify for the tournament for the first time in 2016 and were ranked 48th in the world by FIFA before the 2024 edition. Belgium, on the other hand, has been among the favorites to win the 2024 Euros and was ranked 3rd. In the 7th minute of their opening Group E battle, a mistake by Belgium opened it up for Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz to fire his side in front. Belgium tried to get back in, having two goals from Romelu Lukaku ruled out by VAR, one of which was in the last minute. Yet Slovakia held on to the famous win.

For the first time in their history, Wales qualified for the Euros in 2016. Ranked 26th by FIFA, they shocked everyone by topping their group, even ahead of neighboring rivals England. However, after beating Northern Ireland in the round of 16, they faced tournament favorites Belgium, ranked 2nd in the world, in the quarter-final. No one except hardcore Welsh fans was expecting this outcome, especially after Belgium took the lead. But Wales responded not once, not twice, but three times to seal a famous 3-1 win! The icing on the cake was Hal Robson-Kanu’s picture-perfect Cruyff turn that took out three defenders before he slotted it away and wrote his name in the country’s folklore.

For the first time after separating from the Soviet Union, Latvia had qualified for the 2004 Euros. Then, the debuting nation saw they were placed in a “group of death” with the Netherlands, Czechia, and Germany, which probably zapped their hope. Ranked 53rd by FIFA, Latvia had lost their first game, while Germany, ranked 8th, had drawn theirs. So, when the two countries faced each other, Latvia wasn’t expected to get anything from it. Yet they did. Germany dominated the game, taking 65% of possession and firing 22 shots on goal. But the 11 Wolves held firm and managed to secure a nil-nil draw, perhaps the most celebrated goalless game in football history.

Ranked 75th by FIFA and making their Euros debut after leaving the Soviet Union, Georgia was getting mixed results in their Group F matches at the 2024 event, losing and getting a draw. So, in their final game, they took on the mighty Portugal, ranked 6th and armed with the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead of getting hammered, they did the impossible. Taking an early lead thanks to star player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Georges Mikautadze later tucked away a penalty to give the Crusaders a history-making 2-nil win. Not only was this astonishing victory the greatest difference in FIFA rankings in Euros history, it also allowed Georgia to secure their place into the knockout rounds!

After winning the 2018 World Cup, France was expected to be one of the potential winners for the Euros 2020, which was played in 2021 due to the Pandemic. Ranked 2nd, Les Bleus topped their group and faced Switzerland, who finished 3rd in theirs and were ranked 13th in the world. Yet, instead of France destroying the Swiss, fans watched an anxiety-inducing encounter as the two teams traded goals. With hope seemingly lost, in the 90th minute, Switzerland’s Mario Gavranović equalized to make it 3-3. After the score remained the same after extra time, it was time for the nail-biting penalties. The Swiss were exceptional, putting away 5. Then, one of the best in the world, France’s Kylian Mbappé, missed, giving Switzerland a stunning win.

In 1996, Czechia competed in their first Euros after separating from Slovakia. All hope was drained as they were in a “group of death” with Germany, Italy, and Russia. Yet, amazingly, they managed to come second and progress. Ranked 10th before the tournament, Czechia, armed with Pavel Nedvěd, Patrik Berger, and Karel Poborský, ran through the competition as underdogs. They first defeated Portugal 1-nil in the quarter-final before following that by beating France on penalties in the semis. In their debut, they reached the final against Germany. After taking the lead before Germany equalized, the game went to the then-Golden Goal rule. Which meant whoever scored first in extra time would win. While Germany’s Oliver Bierhoff managed that, Czechia has gone down in legend.

After making it to the quarter-finals in the 1986 World Cup, England was drawn against rivals the Republic of Ireland in Group 2 for the 1988 Euros. Yet the Irish weren’t expected to get a result in their Euros debut. After all, they’d only beaten the Three Lions once in their history, and they had a team featuring Gary Lineker, Chris Waddle, and Peter Shilton. However, the Irish were managed by England’s 1966 World Cup winner, Jack Charlton. Shortly into the match, Ray Houghton fired in a header, giving the Boys in Green a famous lead and the winning goal! While Ireland didn’t progress from the group, neither did England, and the win made them finish above their local rivals, adding further humiliation.

England likes giving their fans a massive shock at the Euros for all the wrong reasons, apparently. In 2016, 11th-ranked England faced 34th-ranked Iceland in the tournament’s round of 16. The Nordic nation was making its first major international competition appearance and impressed, like England, by going through their group unbeaten. However, while Wayne Rooney gave England an early lead with a penalty, Iceland’s Ragnar Sigurðsson struck back within minutes. To make it more magical, Kolbeinn Sigþórsson put his country ahead 2-1! With the Three Lions dominating possession and raining down attempts on Iceland’s goal, the debutants held on to win! The celebration with the Viking Clap at the end was one of the tournament’s most iconic moments.

Denmark wasn’t meant to be in the tournament. But when Yugoslavia was thrown out due to the dissolution of the country and the resulting wars, the Danes, as the runners-up in qualification, were put through instead. And no one expected them to make it through to the final. However, they faced Germany, one of the favorites and a nation with a long, successful history in the Euros. After they had failed to get past legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Denmark’s John Jensen put them ahead in the 18th minute. Denmark’s historic feat was sealed in the second half as Kim Vilfort doubled their lead, allowing the Scandinavians to lift their first-ever major international trophy and stun the footballing world.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Turkey vs. Croatia (2008)
Croatia Beat Everyone in the Group, but Fell to Turkey in Penalties in the Round of 16.

Portugal vs. France (2016)
Even With Ronaldo Injured, Portugal Took a Surprise 1-0 Win to Lift the Trophy.

Northern Ireland vs. Ukraine (2016)
Northern Ireland Got Their First-Ever Win at the Euros With a 2-0 Scoreline in the Group Stage.

When Greece and Portugal were drawn into the same group as Spain and Russia, no one would’ve believed either nation would’ve found their way to the final, let alone both! Portugal, hosting the tournament and ranked 22nd, topped the group and beat England and the Netherlands to reach the final. Greece, ranked 35th, scraped past Spain on overall goals in the group and defeated France and Czechia to the final. With home advantage, Portugal was the clear favorite, especially as they had Luis Figo, Deco, and a young Ronaldo. While Greece, before this startling run, hadn’t won a game at a major international tournament. But in the 57th minute, Angelos Charisteas put his name in neon by heading in from a corner, shocking the world.

Who scored the greatest goal at the Euros? Marco van Basten in ‘88? Xherdan Shaqiri in 2016? Paul Gascoigne in ‘96? Or someone else? Let us know below!