🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 62 (from laksa099)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa062.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship","crawl_time":1776157105,"first_indexed_time":1473343007,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,britannica!www,\/sports\/European-Championship s443","src_root_hash":"5455945239613777662","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"European Championship | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica","meta_descriptions":["European Championship, in football (soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It is second in prestige to the World Cup among international football tournaments. Learn more about the European Championship, including its winners."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"News\n•\nEuropean Championship\n,  in\nfootball (soccer)\n, a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European Championship is second in\nprestige\nto the\nWorld Cup\namong international football tournaments.\nThe first final of the European Championship (then known as the European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs. In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996. Currently, qualification for a European Championship begins two years before the scheduled final when all members of UEFA begin playing among themselves to earn a\nberth\nin the 16-team tournament (the qualification process does not include the host country or countries, which automatically qualify for the final).\nFormally:\nUEFA European Championship\nAlso called:\nEuro\nResults of the European Championship are provided in the table.\nBritannica Quiz\nAmerican Sports Nicknames\nEuropean Football Championship\nyear\nresult\n*Czechoslovakia won penalty shoot-out 5–3.\n**Postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.\n***Italy won penalty shoot-out 3–2.\n1960\nU.S.S.R.\n2\nYugoslavia\n1\n1964\nSpain\n2\nU.S.S.R.\n1\n1968\nItaly\n2\nYugoslavia\n0\n1972\nWest Germany\n3\nU.S.S.R.\n0\n1976\nCzechoslovakia*\n2\nWest Germany\n2\n1980\nWest Germany\n2\nBelgium\n1\n1984\nFrance\n2\nSpain\n0\n1988\nNetherlands\n2\nU.S.S.R.\n0\n1992\nDenmark\n2\nGermany\n0\n1996\nGermany\n2\nCzech Republic\n1\n2000\nFrance\n2\nItaly\n1\n2004\nGreece\n1\nPortugal\n0\n2008\nSpain\n1\nGermany\n0\n2012\nSpain\n4\nItaly\n0\n2016\nPortugal\n1\nFrance\n0\n2020**\nItaly***\n1\nEngland\n1\n2024\nSpain\n2\nEngland\n1\nAI-generated answers\nfrom Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\nTop Questions\nWhat is the World Cup?\nWhy is the World Cup every four years?\nHow does qualifying for the World Cup work?\nWhere does World Cup prize money come from?\nWho is the World Cup’s top scorer?\nNews\n•\nWorld Cup\n,  in\nfootball\n(soccer), quadrennial tournament of men’s national teams that determines the sport’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of\ntelevision\nviewers every tournament. Countries\nworldwide\ncompete vigorously, many years in advance, to host the lucrative event, and accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights have long shadowed the tournament. In fact, the\n2015 FIFA corruption scandal\nimplicated more than two dozen\nFIFA\nofficials and their associates in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. The equivalent tournament for women’s national football teams is the\nWomen’s World Cup\n.\nThe first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the\nFédération Internationale de Football Association\n(FIFA) and was won by\nUruguay\n. Held every four years since that time, except during\nWorld War II\n, the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike\nOlympic\nfootball, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or\namateur\nstatus, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations.\nThe trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the\nJules Rimet Trophy\n, named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner\nBrazil\n(1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the\nFIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other\nsports\nhave organized “World Cup” competitions.\nBritannica Quiz\nGreat Moments in Sports Quiz\nFor a list of World Cup champions,\nsee\ntable.\nFIFA World Cup—men\nyear\nresult\n*Won after extra time (AET).\n**Won on penalty kicks.\n1930\nUruguay\n4\nArgentina\n2\n1934\nItaly*\n2\nCzechoslovakia\n1\n1938\nItaly\n4\nHungary\n2\n1950\nUruguay\n2\nBrazil\n1\n1954\nWest Germany\n3\nHungary\n2\n1958\nBrazil\n5\nSweden\n2\n1962\nBrazil\n3\nCzechoslovakia\n1\n1966\nEngland*\n4\nWest Germany\n2\n1970\nBrazil\n4\nItaly\n1\n1974\nWest Germany\n2\nNetherlands\n1\n1978\nArgentina*\n3\nNetherlands\n1\n1982\nItaly\n3\nWest Germany\n1\n1986\nArgentina\n3\nWest Germany\n2\n1990\nWest Germany\n1\nArgentina\n0\n1994\nBrazil**\n0\nItaly\n0\n1998\nFrance\n3\nBrazil\n0\n2002\nBrazil\n2\nGermany\n0\n2006\nItaly**\n1\nFrance\n1\n2010\nSpain*\n1\nNetherlands\n0\n2014\nGermany*\n1\nArgentina\n0\n2018\nFrance\n4\nCroatia\n2\n2022\nArgentina**\n3\nFrance\n3\nAI-generated answers\nfrom Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.","attrs_markdown":"[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav-mobile&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\nLogin\n\nhttps:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm\\_source=premium\\&utm\\_medium=nav-login-box\\&utm\\_campaign=evergreen\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=blue)\n\n[Ask the Chatbot](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/chatbot)\n\n[Games & Quizzes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/browse) [History & Society](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/History-Society) [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Science-Tech) [Biographies](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Biographies) [Animals & Nature](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Animals-Nature) [Geography & Travel](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Geography-Travel) [Arts & Culture](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Arts-Culture) [ProCon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/procon) [Money](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money) [Videos](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/videos)\n\n[European Championship](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship)\n\n[Introduction](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship)   [References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship\/additional-info)  [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/European-Championship)\n\n[Images](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship\/images-videos)\n\n[![2012 European Championship](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/162194-004-CF7F3F15\/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/162194-050-490306EC\/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg)\n\nQuizzes\n\n[![Cricket bat and ball. cricket sport of cricket.Homepage blog 2011, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/47\/148847-131-607DD61C\/Cricket-bat-ball.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/sports-quiz)\n\n[Sports Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/sports-quiz)\n\n[![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/139052-131-7A7975D1\/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/american-sports-nicknames)\n\n[American Sports Nicknames](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/american-sports-nicknames)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nContents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n[Sports & Recreation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Sports-Recreation)    [Soccer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Soccer)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n[![2012 European Championship](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/162194-050-490306EC\/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/162194-050-490306EC\/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg)\n\n[2012 European Championship](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/162194-050-490306EC\/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg) Spanish players celebrating their win over Italy in the final of the 2012 European Championship.\n\n(more)\n\n# European Championship\nfootball tournament\n\nHomework Help\n\nAlso known as: Euro, European Nation’s Cup, UEFA European Championship[(Show More)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship)\n\nWritten and fact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\nLast updated\n\nApr. 13, 2026\n\n•[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n## News •\n[Italy soccer president and delegation chief Buffon resign after another World Cup failure](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/1523719\/dfc024759ddda518e0f0afc24ac317c9)  • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:34 AM ET (AP)\n\nShow less\n\n**European Championship**, in [football (soccer)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/football-soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European Championship is second in [prestige](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/prestige) to the [World Cup](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football) among international football tournaments.\n\nThe first final of the European Championship (then known as the European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs. In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996. Currently, qualification for a European Championship begins two years before the scheduled final when all members of UEFA begin playing among themselves to earn a [berth](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/berth) in the 16-team tournament (the qualification process does not include the host country or countries, which automatically qualify for the final).\n\nFormally:\n\nUEFA European Championship\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nAlso called:\n\nEuro\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nKey People:\n\n[Zinedine Zidane](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Zinedine-Zidane)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nRelated Topics:\n\n[football](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/football-soccer)\n\n[What Is the Finalissima?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/What-Is-the-Finalissima)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nNotable Honorees:\n\n[Andrés Iniesta](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Andres-Iniesta)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\n[See all related content](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/European-Championship)\n\nResults of the European Championship are provided in the table.\n\n[![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/139052-131-7A7975D1\/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg) Britannica Quiz American Sports Nicknames](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/american-sports-nicknames)\n\n| year | result |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| \\*Czechoslovakia won penalty shoot-out 5–3. |   |   |   |   |\n| \\*\\*Postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. |   |   |   |   |\n| \\*\\*\\*Italy won penalty shoot-out 3–2. |   |   |   |   |\n| 1960 | U.S.S.R. | 2 | Yugoslavia | 1 |\n| 1964 | Spain | 2 | U.S.S.R. | 1 |\n| 1968 | Italy | 2 | Yugoslavia | 0 |\n| 1972 | West Germany | 3 | U.S.S.R. | 0 |\n| 1976 | Czechoslovakia\\* | 2 | West Germany | 2 |\n| 1980 | West Germany | 2 | Belgium | 1 |\n| 1984 | France | 2 | Spain | 0 |\n| 1988 | Netherlands | 2 | U.S.S.R. | 0 |\n| 1992 | Denmark | 2 | Germany | 0 |\n| 1996 | Germany | 2 | Czech Republic | 1 |\n| 2000 | France | 2 | Italy | 1 |\n| 2004 | Greece | 1 | Portugal | 0 |\n| 2008 | Spain | 1 | Germany | 0 |\n| 2012 | Spain | 4 | Italy | 0 |\n| 2016 | Portugal | 1 | France | 0 |\n| 2020\\*\\* | Italy\\*\\*\\* | 1 | England | 1 |\n| 2024 | Spain | 2 | England | 1 |\n\n[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419) This article was most recently revised and updated by [Amy Tikkanen](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/Amy-Tikkanen\/6393).\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI\n\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nEuropean Championship\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\n[World Cup](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football)\n\n[Introduction & Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football)   [References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football\/additional-info)  [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/World-Cup-football)\n\n[Images, Videos & Interactives](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football\/images-videos)\n\n[![Carlos Alberto Torres](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/72\/143472-004-42CDBEC6\/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/72\/143472-050-6ECD0DB0\/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg)  [![FIFA World Cup trophy](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/139485-004-C44C8CB8\/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/139485-050-BCF84C18\/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg)\n\n[![The history behind the FIFA World Cup](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/31\/222731-138-456CD724\/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer\/-255381)\n\n[![1930 World Cup](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/02\/118102-004-80C0502E\/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/02\/118102-050-00E5387C\/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg)\n\n[![Explore which countries won the most men's World Cup titles over time](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/70\/237170-138-C687E1CE\/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country\/-271882)\n\n[![Men's World Cup titles by country](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/86\/237486-049-E6B3C081\/mens-world-cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country.jpg)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship)  [![Diego Maradona](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/9294-004-B88987C0\/Diego-Maradona-defender-Argentina-South-Korean-football-1986.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/9294-050-1051EAE5\/Diego-Maradona-defender-Argentina-South-Korean-football-1986.jpg)  [![Romário: 1994 World Cup](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/222394-004-378D4D74\/Romario-of-Brazil-holds-the-trophy-after-World-Cup-final-against-Italy-at-Rose-Bowl-Los-Angeles-July-17-1994.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/222394-050-D8838C2C\/Romario-of-Brazil-holds-the-trophy-after-World-Cup-final-against-Italy-at-Rose-Bowl-Los-Angeles-July-17-1994.jpg)  [![Wayne Rooney](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/86\/139486-004-5A1EA504\/England-Wayne-Rooney-World-Cup-Portugal-quarterfinal-2006.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/86\/139486-050-ED5968E0\/England-Wayne-Rooney-World-Cup-Portugal-quarterfinal-2006.jpg)  [![World Cup final](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/78\/128778-004-83000101\/Zinedine-Zidane-ball-final-World-Cup-Italy-2006.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/78\/128778-050-3BEDC27B\/Zinedine-Zidane-ball-final-World-Cup-Italy-2006.jpg)\n\nQuizzes\n\n[![Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/234474-131-7CBD1A96\/Serena-Williams-womens-single-trophy-Australian-Open-Januray-28-2017.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/great-moments-in-sports-quiz)\n\n[Great Moments in Sports Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/great-moments-in-sports-quiz)\n\n[![Cricket bat and ball. cricket sport of cricket.Homepage blog 2011, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/47\/148847-131-607DD61C\/Cricket-bat-ball.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/sports-quiz)\n\n[Sports Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/sports-quiz)\n\n[![Children kicking soccer ball (football; sport)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/157745-131-A0A7967C\/Children-soccer-ball.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/association-football)\n\n[Association Football](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/association-football)\n\n[![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/139052-131-7A7975D1\/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/american-sports-nicknames)\n\n[American Sports Nicknames](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/american-sports-nicknames)\n\n[![Children kicking soccer ball (football; sport)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/157745-131-A0A7967C\/Children-soccer-ball.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/football-means-soccer-in-this-quiz)\n\n[“Football” Means “Soccer” in This Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/football-means-soccer-in-this-quiz)\n\nRelated Questions\n\n- [What is the World Cup?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-the-World-Cup)\n- [Why is the World Cup every four years?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Why-is-the-World-Cup-every-four-years)\n- [How does qualifying for the World Cup work?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/How-does-qualifying-for-the-World-Cup-work)\n- [Where does World Cup prize money come from?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Where-does-World-Cup-prize-money-come-from)\n- [Who is the World Cup’s top scorer?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Who-is-the-World-Cups-top-scorer)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nContents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n[Sports & Recreation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Sports-Recreation)    [Soccer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Soccer)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n[![Carlos Alberto Torres](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/72\/143472-050-6ECD0DB0\/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/72\/143472-050-6ECD0DB0\/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg)\n\n[Carlos Alberto Torres](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/72\/143472-050-6ECD0DB0\/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg) Captain Carlos Alberto Torres holding the Jules Rimet trophy aloft after Brazil's triumph at the 1970 World Cup.\n\n(more)\n\n# World Cup\nfootball tournament\n\nHomework Help\n\nAlso known as: FIFA World Cup\n\nWritten and fact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\n[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTop Questions\n\n### What is the World Cup?\nThe World Cup in [football](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/football-soccer) (soccer) is a quadrennial tournament of 32 men’s national teams that is organized by the [Fédération Internationale de Football Association](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Federation-Internationale-de-Football-Association) (FIFA). It determines the sport’s men’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of television viewers every tournament.\n\n### Why is the World Cup every four years?\nThe World Cup happens every four years in order to have enough time for the qualification tournaments and playoffs among national teams to take place. Additionally, four years provides the host country adequate time to plan the logistics of the tournament and how to best accommodate an influx of millions of fans.\n\n### How does qualifying for the World Cup work?\nQualifying for the World Cup is a long process during the years between each quadrennial tournament. Each of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s six confederations determines its own qualification system, which produces the men’s teams that represent each confederation’s region. The six confederations are Africa; Asia; Europe; North America, Central America, and the Caribbean; Oceania; and South America.\n\n### Where does World Cup prize money come from?\nWorld Cup prize money comes from the earnings of the nonprofit Fédération Internationale de Football Association. FIFA’s revenue is generated by high bids for television, marketing, and licensing rights for major football events that FIFA organizes. FIFA does not incur expenses for the construction of World Cup infrastructure, as those fall on the host country.\n\n### Who is the World Cup’s top scorer?\nThe men’s World Cup all-time top scorer is [Miroslav Klose](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Miroslav-Klose) of the German national football (soccer) team. He scored a total of 16 goals across four World Cup tournaments, from 2002 through 2014. [Marta](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Marta), playing for the Brazilian women’s national team, scored her 17th World Cup goal during the 2019 [Women’s World Cup](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Womens-World-Cup), becoming the top scorer across the men’s and women’s tournaments. She played in five World Cups, from 2003 through 2019.\n\n## News •\n[Italy soccer president and delegation chief Buffon resign after another World Cup failure](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/648277\/dfc024759ddda518e0f0afc24ac317c9)\n\n• Apr. 13, 2026, 11:34 AM ET (AP)\n\n...(Show more)\n\n[FIFA adds new even more expensive World Cup ticket categories](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/648277\/07f3e1f9bd6001cea59163046d317f59)  • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:33 AM ET (AP)\n\n[Iranian American soccer fans are torn between pride and protest as the World Cup nears](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/648277\/f6da62f387eb3664e15845afc726c4ff)  • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:21 AM ET (AP)\n\n[Achilles injury ends US forward Patrick Agyemang's World Cup hopes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/648277\/3d4520d2917eb2233b014dd54a153dd5)  • Apr. 7, 2026, 7:40 AM ET (AP)\n\n[Correction: World Cup-Tickets story](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/648277\/e4bb8a9eb9aa285f55caa4b9405fb182)  • Apr. 4, 2026, 11:12 AM ET (AP)\n\nShow less\n\n[![FIFA World Cup trophy](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/139485-050-BCF84C18\/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/139485-050-BCF84C18\/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg)\n\n[FIFA World Cup trophy](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/85\/139485-050-BCF84C18\/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg)The FIFA World Cup trophy.\n\n(more)\n\n**World Cup**, in [football](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/football-soccer) (soccer), quadrennial tournament of men’s national teams that determines the sport’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of [television](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/television-technology) viewers every tournament. Countries [worldwide](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/worldwide) compete vigorously, many years in advance, to host the lucrative event, and accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights have long shadowed the tournament. In fact, the [2015 FIFA corruption scandal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/2015-FIFA-corruption-scandal) implicated more than two dozen [FIFA](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/FIFA-game-series) officials and their associates in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. The equivalent tournament for women’s national football teams is the [Women’s World Cup](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Womens-World-Cup).\n\n[![The history behind the FIFA World Cup](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/31\/222731-138-456CD724\/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)1 of 3](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer\/-255381)\n\nThe history behind the FIFA World CupWatch this video to learn more about the history of the FIFA World Cup.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football\/images-videos)\n\n[![1930 World Cup](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/02\/118102-050-00E5387C\/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg?w=300)2 of 3](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/02\/118102-050-00E5387C\/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg)\n\n[1930 World Cup](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/02\/118102-050-00E5387C\/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg)Uruguay scoring its first goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, in Montevideo, Uruguay, July 30, 1930.\n\n(more)\n\n[![Explore which countries won the most men's World Cup titles over time](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/70\/237170-138-C687E1CE\/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)3 of 3](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country\/-271882)\n\nExplore which countries won the most men's World Cup titles over timeLearn more about which countries have won the most men's World Cup titles since 1930.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football\/images-videos)\n\nThe first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the [Fédération Internationale de Football Association](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Federation-Internationale-de-Football-Association) (FIFA) and was won by [Uruguay](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Uruguay). Held every four years since that time, except during [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II), the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike [Olympic](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Olympic-Games) football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or [amateur](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/amateur) status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations.\n\nThe trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the [Jules Rimet Trophy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Jules-Rimet-Trophy), named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner [Brazil](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Brazil) (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other [sports](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/sports) have organized “World Cup” competitions.\n\n[![Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/234474-131-7CBD1A96\/Serena-Williams-womens-single-trophy-Australian-Open-Januray-28-2017.jpg) Britannica Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/great-moments-in-sports-quiz)\n\nFor a list of World Cup champions, *see* table.\n\n| year | result |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| \\*Won after extra time (AET). |   |   |   |   |\n| \\*\\*Won on penalty kicks. |   |   |   |   |\n| 1930 | Uruguay | 4 | Argentina | 2 |\n| 1934 | Italy\\* | 2 | Czechoslovakia | 1 |\n| 1938 | Italy | 4 | Hungary | 2 |\n| 1950 | Uruguay | 2 | Brazil | 1 |\n| 1954 | West Germany | 3 | Hungary | 2 |\n| 1958 | Brazil | 5 | Sweden | 2 |\n| 1962 | Brazil | 3 | Czechoslovakia | 1 |\n| 1966 | England\\* | 4 | West Germany | 2 |\n| 1970 | Brazil | 4 | Italy | 1 |\n| 1974 | West Germany | 2 | Netherlands | 1 |\n| 1978 | Argentina\\* | 3 | Netherlands | 1 |\n| 1982 | Italy | 3 | West Germany | 1 |\n| 1986 | Argentina | 3 | West Germany | 2 |\n| 1990 | West Germany | 1 | Argentina | 0 |\n| 1994 | Brazil\\*\\* | 0 | Italy | 0 |\n| 1998 | France | 3 | Brazil | 0 |\n| 2002 | Brazil | 2 | Germany | 0 |\n| 2006 | Italy\\*\\* | 1 | France | 1 |\n| 2010 | Spain\\* | 1 | Netherlands | 0 |\n| 2014 | Germany\\* | 1 | Argentina | 0 |\n| 2018 | France | 4 | Croatia | 2 |\n| 2022 | Argentina\\*\\* | 3 | France | 3 |\n\n[The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419) This article was most recently revised and updated by [Mindy Johnston](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/mindy-johnston\/12488102).\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI\n\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nWorld Cup\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\nLoad Next Page\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nBritannica Editors. \"European Championship\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 13 Apr. 2026, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship. Accessed 14 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/European-Championship>\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [UEFA - EURO 2028](https:\/\/www.uefa.com\/euro2028\/)\n- [FootballHistory.org - The history of European Championship](https:\/\/www.footballhistory.org\/european-championship.html)\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nBritannica Editors. \"World Cup\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 21 May. 2025, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football. Accessed 14 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football>\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [U.S. Soccer - Hispanic Heritage: Marcelo Balboaï¿½s Pride and Passion for Representing the USMNT](https:\/\/www.ussoccer.com\/stories\/2020\/10\/hispanic-heritage-marcelo-balboas-pride-and-passion-for-representing-the-usmnt)\n- [Official Site of FIFA](https:\/\/inside.fifa.com\/)\n- [Football History - The history of FIFA World Cup](https:\/\/www.footballhistory.org\/world-cup\/index.html)\n\nBritannica Websites\n\nArticles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.\n\n- [World Cup - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/kids\/article\/World-Cup\/390872)\n- [World Cup - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/students\/article\/World-Cup\/487889)","attrs_readable_markdown":"## News •\n**European Championship**, in [football (soccer)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/football-soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European Championship is second in [prestige](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/prestige) to the [World Cup](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/World-Cup-football) among international football tournaments.\n\nThe first final of the European Championship (then known as the European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs. In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996. Currently, qualification for a European Championship begins two years before the scheduled final when all members of UEFA begin playing among themselves to earn a [berth](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/berth) in the 16-team tournament (the qualification process does not include the host country or countries, which automatically qualify for the final).\n\nFormally:\n\nUEFA European Championship\n\nAlso called:\n\nEuro\n\nResults of the European Championship are provided in the table.\n\n[![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/52\/139052-131-7A7975D1\/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg) Britannica Quiz American Sports Nicknames](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/american-sports-nicknames)\n\n| year | result |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| \\*Czechoslovakia won penalty shoot-out 5–3. |   |   |   |   |\n| \\*\\*Postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. |   |   |   |   |\n| \\*\\*\\*Italy won penalty shoot-out 3–2. |   |   |   |   |\n| 1960 | U.S.S.R. | 2 | Yugoslavia | 1 |\n| 1964 | Spain | 2 | U.S.S.R. | 1 |\n| 1968 | Italy | 2 | Yugoslavia | 0 |\n| 1972 | West Germany | 3 | U.S.S.R. | 0 |\n| 1976 | Czechoslovakia\\* | 2 | West Germany | 2 |\n| 1980 | West Germany | 2 | Belgium | 1 |\n| 1984 | France | 2 | Spain | 0 |\n| 1988 | Netherlands | 2 | U.S.S.R. | 0 |\n| 1992 | Denmark | 2 | Germany | 0 |\n| 1996 | Germany | 2 | Czech Republic | 1 |\n| 2000 | France | 2 | Italy | 1 |\n| 2004 | Greece | 1 | Portugal | 0 |\n| 2008 | Spain | 1 | Germany | 0 |\n| 2012 | Spain | 4 | Italy | 0 |\n| 2016 | Portugal | 1 | France | 0 |\n| 2020\\*\\* | Italy\\*\\*\\* | 1 | England | 1 |\n| 2024 | Spain | 2 | England | 1 |\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\nTop Questions\n\n### What is the World Cup?\n### Why is the World Cup every four years?\n### How does qualifying for the World Cup work?\n### Where does World Cup prize money come from?\n### Who is the World Cup’s top scorer?\n## News •\n**World Cup**, in [football](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/football-soccer) (soccer), quadrennial tournament of men’s national teams that determines the sport’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of [television](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/television-technology) viewers every tournament. Countries [worldwide](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/worldwide) compete vigorously, many years in advance, to host the lucrative event, and accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights have long shadowed the tournament. In fact, the [2015 FIFA corruption scandal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/2015-FIFA-corruption-scandal) implicated more than two dozen [FIFA](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/FIFA-game-series) officials and their associates in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. The equivalent tournament for women’s national football teams is the [Women’s World Cup](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Womens-World-Cup).\n\nThe first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the [Fédération Internationale de Football Association](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Federation-Internationale-de-Football-Association) (FIFA) and was won by [Uruguay](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Uruguay). Held every four years since that time, except during [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II), the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike [Olympic](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Olympic-Games) football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or [amateur](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/amateur) status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations.\n\nThe trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the [Jules Rimet Trophy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Jules-Rimet-Trophy), named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner [Brazil](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Brazil) (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other [sports](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/sports) have organized “World Cup” competitions.\n\n[![Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/74\/234474-131-7CBD1A96\/Serena-Williams-womens-single-trophy-Australian-Open-Januray-28-2017.jpg) Britannica Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/great-moments-in-sports-quiz)\n\nFor a list of World Cup champions, *see* table.\n\n| year | result |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| \\*Won after extra time (AET). |   |   |   |   |\n| \\*\\*Won on penalty kicks. |   |   |   |   |\n| 1930 | Uruguay | 4 | Argentina | 2 |\n| 1934 | Italy\\* | 2 | Czechoslovakia | 1 |\n| 1938 | Italy | 4 | Hungary | 2 |\n| 1950 | Uruguay | 2 | Brazil | 1 |\n| 1954 | West Germany | 3 | Hungary | 2 |\n| 1958 | Brazil | 5 | Sweden | 2 |\n| 1962 | Brazil | 3 | Czechoslovakia | 1 |\n| 1966 | England\\* | 4 | West Germany | 2 |\n| 1970 | Brazil | 4 | Italy | 1 |\n| 1974 | West Germany | 2 | Netherlands | 1 |\n| 1978 | Argentina\\* | 3 | Netherlands | 1 |\n| 1982 | Italy | 3 | West Germany | 1 |\n| 1986 | Argentina | 3 | West Germany | 2 |\n| 1990 | West Germany | 1 | Argentina | 0 |\n| 1994 | Brazil\\*\\* | 0 | Italy | 0 |\n| 1998 | France | 3 | Brazil | 0 |\n| 2002 | Brazil | 2 | Germany | 0 |\n| 2006 | Italy\\*\\* | 1 | France | 1 |\n| 2010 | Spain\\* | 1 | Netherlands | 0 |\n| 2014 | Germany\\* | 1 | Argentina | 0 |\n| 2018 | France | 4 | Croatia | 2 |\n| 2022 | Argentina\\*\\* | 3 | France | 3 |\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship
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First Indexed	2016-09-08 13:56:47 (9 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	European Championship \| History, Winners, & Facts \| Britannica
Meta Description	European Championship, in football (soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It is second in prestige to the World Cup among international football tournaments. Learn more about the European Championship, including its winners.
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Boilerpipe Text	News • European Championship , in football (soccer) , a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European Championship is second in prestige to the World Cup among international football tournaments. The first final of the European Championship (then known as the European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs. In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996. Currently, qualification for a European Championship begins two years before the scheduled final when all members of UEFA begin playing among themselves to earn a berth in the 16-team tournament (the qualification process does not include the host country or countries, which automatically qualify for the final). Formally: UEFA European Championship Also called: Euro Results of the European Championship are provided in the table. Britannica Quiz American Sports Nicknames European Football Championship year result Czechoslovakia won penalty shoot-out 5–3. Postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. *Italy won penalty shoot-out 3–2. 1960 U.S.S.R. 2 Yugoslavia 1 1964 Spain 2 U.S.S.R. 1 1968 Italy 2 Yugoslavia 0 1972 West Germany 3 U.S.S.R. 0 1976 Czechoslovakia 2 West Germany 2 1980 West Germany 2 Belgium 1 1984 France 2 Spain 0 1988 Netherlands 2 U.S.S.R. 0 1992 Denmark 2 Germany 0 1996 Germany 2 Czech Republic 1 2000 France 2 Italy 1 2004 Greece 1 Portugal 0 2008 Spain 1 Germany 0 2012 Spain 4 Italy 0 2016 Portugal 1 France 0 2020 Italy* 1 England 1 2024 Spain 2 England 1 AI-generated answers from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. Top Questions What is the World Cup? Why is the World Cup every four years? How does qualifying for the World Cup work? Where does World Cup prize money come from? Who is the World Cup’s top scorer? News • World Cup , in football (soccer), quadrennial tournament of men’s national teams that determines the sport’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of television viewers every tournament. Countries worldwide compete vigorously, many years in advance, to host the lucrative event, and accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights have long shadowed the tournament. In fact, the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal implicated more than two dozen FIFA officials and their associates in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. The equivalent tournament for women’s national football teams is the Women’s World Cup . The first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and was won by Uruguay . Held every four years since that time, except during World War II , the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike Olympic football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or amateur status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations. The trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the Jules Rimet Trophy , named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner Brazil (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other sports have organized “World Cup” competitions. Britannica Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz For a list of World Cup champions, see table. FIFA World Cup—men year result Won after extra time (AET). Won on penalty kicks. 1930 Uruguay 4 Argentina 2 1934 Italy 2 Czechoslovakia 1 1938 Italy 4 Hungary 2 1950 Uruguay 2 Brazil 1 1954 West Germany 3 Hungary 2 1958 Brazil 5 Sweden 2 1962 Brazil 3 Czechoslovakia 1 1966 England* 4 West Germany 2 1970 Brazil 4 Italy 1 1974 West Germany 2 Netherlands 1 1978 Argentina* 3 Netherlands 1 1982 Italy 3 West Germany 1 1986 Argentina 3 West Germany 2 1990 West Germany 1 Argentina 0 1994 Brazil 0 Italy 0 1998 France 3 Brazil 0 2002 Brazil 2 Germany 0 2006 Italy 1 France 1 2010 Spain* 1 Netherlands 0 2014 Germany* 1 Argentina 0 2018 France 4 Croatia 2 2022 Argentina** 3 France 3 AI-generated answers from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Markdown	[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https://www.britannica.com/) [![Encyclopedia Britannica](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https://www.britannica.com/) [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen) [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav-mobile&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen) Login https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm\_source=premium\&utm\_medium=nav-login-box\&utm\_campaign=evergreen [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=blue) [Ask the Chatbot](https://www.britannica.com/chatbot) [Games & Quizzes](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/browse) [History & Society](https://www.britannica.com/History-Society) [Science & Tech](https://www.britannica.com/Science-Tech) [Biographies](https://www.britannica.com/Biographies) [Animals & Nature](https://www.britannica.com/Animals-Nature) [Geography & Travel](https://www.britannica.com/Geography-Travel) [Arts & Culture](https://www.britannica.com/Arts-Culture) [ProCon](https://www.britannica.com/procon) [Money](https://www.britannica.com/money) [Videos](https://www.britannica.com/videos) [European Championship](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship) [Introduction](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship) [References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https://www.britannica.com/facts/European-Championship) [Images](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship/images-videos) [![2012 European Championship](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/162194-004-CF7F3F15/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/162194-050-490306EC/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg) Quizzes [![Cricket bat and ball. cricket sport of cricket.Homepage blog 2011, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics](https://cdn.britannica.com/47/148847-131-607DD61C/Cricket-bat-ball.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/sports-quiz) [Sports Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/sports-quiz) [![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/139052-131-7A7975D1/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/american-sports-nicknames) [American Sports Nicknames](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/american-sports-nicknames) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Contents Ask Anything [Sports & Recreation](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Sports-Recreation) [Soccer](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Soccer) CITE Share Feedback External Websites [![2012 European Championship](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/162194-050-490306EC/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/162194-050-490306EC/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg) [2012 European Championship](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/162194-050-490306EC/Iker-Casillas-winner-association-football-team-victory-July-1-2012.jpg) Spanish players celebrating their win over Italy in the final of the 2012 European Championship. (more) # European Championship football tournament Homework Help Also known as: Euro, European Nation’s Cup, UEFA European Championship[(Show More)](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship) Written and fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 13, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything ## News • [Italy soccer president and delegation chief Buffon resign after another World Cup failure](https://www.britannica.com/news/1523719/dfc024759ddda518e0f0afc24ac317c9) • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:34 AM ET (AP) Show less European Championship, in [football (soccer)](https://www.britannica.com/sports/football-soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European Championship is second in [prestige](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestige) to the [World Cup](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football) among international football tournaments. The first final of the European Championship (then known as the European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs. In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996. Currently, qualification for a European Championship begins two years before the scheduled final when all members of UEFA begin playing among themselves to earn a [berth](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/berth) in the 16-team tournament (the qualification process does not include the host country or countries, which automatically qualify for the final). Formally: UEFA European Championship (Show more) Also called: Euro (Show more) Key People: [Zinedine Zidane](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zinedine-Zidane) (Show more) Related Topics: [football](https://www.britannica.com/sports/football-soccer) [What Is the Finalissima?](https://www.britannica.com/sports/What-Is-the-Finalissima) (Show more) Notable Honorees: [Andrés Iniesta](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andres-Iniesta) (Show more) [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/European-Championship) Results of the European Championship are provided in the table. [![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/139052-131-7A7975D1/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg) Britannica Quiz American Sports Nicknames](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/american-sports-nicknames) \| year \| result \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \Czechoslovakia won penalty shoot-out 5–3. \| \| \| \| \| \| \\Postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. \| \| \| \| \| \| \\\Italy won penalty shoot-out 3–2. \| \| \| \| \| \| 1960 \| U.S.S.R. \| 2 \| Yugoslavia \| 1 \| \| 1964 \| Spain \| 2 \| U.S.S.R. \| 1 \| \| 1968 \| Italy \| 2 \| Yugoslavia \| 0 \| \| 1972 \| West Germany \| 3 \| U.S.S.R. \| 0 \| \| 1976 \| Czechoslovakia\* \| 2 \| West Germany \| 2 \| \| 1980 \| West Germany \| 2 \| Belgium \| 1 \| \| 1984 \| France \| 2 \| Spain \| 0 \| \| 1988 \| Netherlands \| 2 \| U.S.S.R. \| 0 \| \| 1992 \| Denmark \| 2 \| Germany \| 0 \| \| 1996 \| Germany \| 2 \| Czech Republic \| 1 \| \| 2000 \| France \| 2 \| Italy \| 1 \| \| 2004 \| Greece \| 1 \| Portugal \| 0 \| \| 2008 \| Spain \| 1 \| Germany \| 0 \| \| 2012 \| Spain \| 4 \| Italy \| 0 \| \| 2016 \| Portugal \| 1 \| France \| 0 \| \| 2020\\ \| Italy\\\* \| 1 \| England \| 1 \| \| 2024 \| Spain \| 2 \| England \| 1 \| [The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) This article was most recently revised and updated by [Amy Tikkanen](https://www.britannica.com/editor/Amy-Tikkanen/6393). ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right European Championship close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. [World Cup](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football) [Introduction & Top Questions](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football) [References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https://www.britannica.com/facts/World-Cup-football) [Images, Videos & Interactives](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football/images-videos) [![Carlos Alberto Torres](https://cdn.britannica.com/72/143472-004-42CDBEC6/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/72/143472-050-6ECD0DB0/Carlos-Alberto-Torres-holds-Jules-Rimet-trophy-Brazil-1970.jpg) [![FIFA World Cup trophy](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/139485-004-C44C8CB8/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/139485-050-BCF84C18/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg) [![The history behind the FIFA World Cup](https://cdn.britannica.com/31/222731-138-456CD724/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer/-255381) [![1930 World Cup](https://cdn.britannica.com/02/118102-004-80C0502E/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/02/118102-050-00E5387C/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg) [![Explore which countries won the most men's World Cup titles over time](https://cdn.britannica.com/70/237170-138-C687E1CE/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country/-271882) [![Men's World Cup titles by country](https://cdn.britannica.com/86/237486-049-E6B3C081/mens-world-cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country.jpg)](https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship) [![Diego Maradona](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/9294-004-B88987C0/Diego-Maradona-defender-Argentina-South-Korean-football-1986.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/9294-050-1051EAE5/Diego-Maradona-defender-Argentina-South-Korean-football-1986.jpg) [![Romário: 1994 World Cup](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/222394-004-378D4D74/Romario-of-Brazil-holds-the-trophy-after-World-Cup-final-against-Italy-at-Rose-Bowl-Los-Angeles-July-17-1994.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/222394-050-D8838C2C/Romario-of-Brazil-holds-the-trophy-after-World-Cup-final-against-Italy-at-Rose-Bowl-Los-Angeles-July-17-1994.jpg) [![Wayne Rooney](https://cdn.britannica.com/86/139486-004-5A1EA504/England-Wayne-Rooney-World-Cup-Portugal-quarterfinal-2006.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/86/139486-050-ED5968E0/England-Wayne-Rooney-World-Cup-Portugal-quarterfinal-2006.jpg) [![World Cup final](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/128778-004-83000101/Zinedine-Zidane-ball-final-World-Cup-Italy-2006.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/128778-050-3BEDC27B/Zinedine-Zidane-ball-final-World-Cup-Italy-2006.jpg) Quizzes [![Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. 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(more) # World Cup football tournament Homework Help Also known as: FIFA World Cup Written and fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors [History](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything Top Questions ### What is the World Cup? The World Cup in [football](https://www.britannica.com/sports/football-soccer) (soccer) is a quadrennial tournament of 32 men’s national teams that is organized by the [Fédération Internationale de Football Association](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federation-Internationale-de-Football-Association) (FIFA). It determines the sport’s men’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of television viewers every tournament. ### Why is the World Cup every four years? The World Cup happens every four years in order to have enough time for the qualification tournaments and playoffs among national teams to take place. Additionally, four years provides the host country adequate time to plan the logistics of the tournament and how to best accommodate an influx of millions of fans. ### How does qualifying for the World Cup work? Qualifying for the World Cup is a long process during the years between each quadrennial tournament. Each of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s six confederations determines its own qualification system, which produces the men’s teams that represent each confederation’s region. The six confederations are Africa; Asia; Europe; North America, Central America, and the Caribbean; Oceania; and South America. ### Where does World Cup prize money come from? World Cup prize money comes from the earnings of the nonprofit Fédération Internationale de Football Association. FIFA’s revenue is generated by high bids for television, marketing, and licensing rights for major football events that FIFA organizes. FIFA does not incur expenses for the construction of World Cup infrastructure, as those fall on the host country. ### Who is the World Cup’s top scorer? The men’s World Cup all-time top scorer is [Miroslav Klose](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miroslav-Klose) of the German national football (soccer) team. He scored a total of 16 goals across four World Cup tournaments, from 2002 through 2014. [Marta](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marta), playing for the Brazilian women’s national team, scored her 17th World Cup goal during the 2019 [Women’s World Cup](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Womens-World-Cup), becoming the top scorer across the men’s and women’s tournaments. She played in five World Cups, from 2003 through 2019. ## News • [Italy soccer president and delegation chief Buffon resign after another World Cup failure](https://www.britannica.com/news/648277/dfc024759ddda518e0f0afc24ac317c9) • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:34 AM ET (AP) ...(Show more) [FIFA adds new even more expensive World Cup ticket categories](https://www.britannica.com/news/648277/07f3e1f9bd6001cea59163046d317f59) • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:33 AM ET (AP) [Iranian American soccer fans are torn between pride and protest as the World Cup nears](https://www.britannica.com/news/648277/f6da62f387eb3664e15845afc726c4ff) • Apr. 13, 2026, 11:21 AM ET (AP) [Achilles injury ends US forward Patrick Agyemang's World Cup hopes](https://www.britannica.com/news/648277/3d4520d2917eb2233b014dd54a153dd5) • Apr. 7, 2026, 7:40 AM ET (AP) [Correction: World Cup-Tickets story](https://www.britannica.com/news/648277/e4bb8a9eb9aa285f55caa4b9405fb182) • Apr. 4, 2026, 11:12 AM ET (AP) Show less [![FIFA World Cup trophy](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/139485-050-BCF84C18/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/139485-050-BCF84C18/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg) [FIFA World Cup trophy](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/139485-050-BCF84C18/FIFA-World-Cup-trophy.jpg)The FIFA World Cup trophy. (more) World Cup, in [football](https://www.britannica.com/sports/football-soccer) (soccer), quadrennial tournament of men’s national teams that determines the sport’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of [television](https://www.britannica.com/technology/television-technology) viewers every tournament. Countries [worldwide](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/worldwide) compete vigorously, many years in advance, to host the lucrative event, and accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights have long shadowed the tournament. In fact, the [2015 FIFA corruption scandal](https://www.britannica.com/event/2015-FIFA-corruption-scandal) implicated more than two dozen [FIFA](https://www.britannica.com/topic/FIFA-game-series) officials and their associates in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. The equivalent tournament for women’s national football teams is the [Women’s World Cup](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Womens-World-Cup). [![The history behind the FIFA World Cup](https://cdn.britannica.com/31/222731-138-456CD724/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)1 of 3](https://www.britannica.com/video/did-you-know-FIFA-World-Cup-soccer/-255381) The history behind the FIFA World CupWatch this video to learn more about the history of the FIFA World Cup. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football/images-videos) [![1930 World Cup](https://cdn.britannica.com/02/118102-050-00E5387C/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg?w=300)2 of 3](https://cdn.britannica.com/02/118102-050-00E5387C/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg) [1930 World Cup](https://cdn.britannica.com/02/118102-050-00E5387C/Uruguay-scores-goal-against-Argentina-1930-World-Cup-final-soccer.jpg)Uruguay scoring its first goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, in Montevideo, Uruguay, July 30, 1930. (more) [![Explore which countries won the most men's World Cup titles over time](https://cdn.britannica.com/70/237170-138-C687E1CE/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)3 of 3](https://www.britannica.com/video/running-bar-chart-total-mens-World-Cup-titles-1930-2022-by-country/-271882) Explore which countries won the most men's World Cup titles over timeLearn more about which countries have won the most men's World Cup titles since 1930. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football/images-videos) The first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the [Fédération Internationale de Football Association](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federation-Internationale-de-Football-Association) (FIFA) and was won by [Uruguay](https://www.britannica.com/place/Uruguay). Held every four years since that time, except during [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II), the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike [Olympic](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games) football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or [amateur](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/amateur) status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations. The trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the [Jules Rimet Trophy](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Jules-Rimet-Trophy), named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner [Brazil](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brazil) (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other [sports](https://www.britannica.com/sports/sports) have organized “World Cup” competitions. [![Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/234474-131-7CBD1A96/Serena-Williams-womens-single-trophy-Australian-Open-Januray-28-2017.jpg) Britannica Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/great-moments-in-sports-quiz) For a list of World Cup champions, see table. \| year \| result \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \Won after extra time (AET). \| \| \| \| \| \| \\Won on penalty kicks. \| \| \| \| \| \| 1930 \| Uruguay \| 4 \| Argentina \| 2 \| \| 1934 \| Italy\ \| 2 \| Czechoslovakia \| 1 \| \| 1938 \| Italy \| 4 \| Hungary \| 2 \| \| 1950 \| Uruguay \| 2 \| Brazil \| 1 \| \| 1954 \| West Germany \| 3 \| Hungary \| 2 \| \| 1958 \| Brazil \| 5 \| Sweden \| 2 \| \| 1962 \| Brazil \| 3 \| Czechoslovakia \| 1 \| \| 1966 \| England\* \| 4 \| West Germany \| 2 \| \| 1970 \| Brazil \| 4 \| Italy \| 1 \| \| 1974 \| West Germany \| 2 \| Netherlands \| 1 \| \| 1978 \| Argentina\* \| 3 \| Netherlands \| 1 \| \| 1982 \| Italy \| 3 \| West Germany \| 1 \| \| 1986 \| Argentina \| 3 \| West Germany \| 2 \| \| 1990 \| West Germany \| 1 \| Argentina \| 0 \| \| 1994 \| Brazil\\ \| 0 \| Italy \| 0 \| \| 1998 \| France \| 3 \| Brazil \| 0 \| \| 2002 \| Brazil \| 2 \| Germany \| 0 \| \| 2006 \| Italy\\ \| 1 \| France \| 1 \| \| 2010 \| Spain\* \| 1 \| Netherlands \| 0 \| \| 2014 \| Germany\* \| 1 \| Argentina \| 0 \| \| 2018 \| France \| 4 \| Croatia \| 2 \| \| 2022 \| Argentina\\ \| 3 \| France \| 3 \| [The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) This article was most recently revised and updated by [Mindy Johnston](https://www.britannica.com/editor/mindy-johnston/12488102). ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right World Cup close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. Load Next Page Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Britannica Editors. "European Championship". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Apr. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship. Accessed 14 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/sports/European-Championship> External Websites - [UEFA - EURO 2028](https://www.uefa.com/euro2028/) - [FootballHistory.org - The history of European Championship](https://www.footballhistory.org/european-championship.html) Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Britannica Editors. "World Cup". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football. Accessed 14 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football> External Websites - [U.S. Soccer - Hispanic Heritage: Marcelo Balboaï¿½s Pride and Passion for Representing the USMNT](https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/10/hispanic-heritage-marcelo-balboas-pride-and-passion-for-representing-the-usmnt) - [Official Site of FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/) - [Football History - The history of FIFA World Cup](https://www.footballhistory.org/world-cup/index.html) Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. - [World Cup - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/World-Cup/390872) - [World Cup - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/World-Cup/487889)
Readable Markdown	## News • European Championship, in [football (soccer)](https://www.britannica.com/sports/football-soccer), a quadrennial tournament held between the member countries of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The European Championship is second in [prestige](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestige) to the [World Cup](https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football) among international football tournaments. The first final of the European Championship (then known as the European Nations’ Cup) took place in 1960 after two years of preliminary contests between 17 national football clubs. In 1960 the Euro final tournament consisted of four teams, but it expanded to eight teams in 1980 and 16 teams in 1996. Currently, qualification for a European Championship begins two years before the scheduled final when all members of UEFA begin playing among themselves to earn a [berth](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/berth) in the 16-team tournament (the qualification process does not include the host country or countries, which automatically qualify for the final). Formally: UEFA European Championship Also called: Euro Results of the European Championship are provided in the table. [![Assorted sports balls including a basketball, football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball and others.](https://cdn.britannica.com/52/139052-131-7A7975D1/Balls-shapes-colors-sizes-sports.jpg) Britannica Quiz American Sports Nicknames](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/american-sports-nicknames) \| year \| result \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \Czechoslovakia won penalty shoot-out 5–3. \| \| \| \| \| \| \\Postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. \| \| \| \| \| \| \\\Italy won penalty shoot-out 3–2. \| \| \| \| \| \| 1960 \| U.S.S.R. \| 2 \| Yugoslavia \| 1 \| \| 1964 \| Spain \| 2 \| U.S.S.R. \| 1 \| \| 1968 \| Italy \| 2 \| Yugoslavia \| 0 \| \| 1972 \| West Germany \| 3 \| U.S.S.R. \| 0 \| \| 1976 \| Czechoslovakia\* \| 2 \| West Germany \| 2 \| \| 1980 \| West Germany \| 2 \| Belgium \| 1 \| \| 1984 \| France \| 2 \| Spain \| 0 \| \| 1988 \| Netherlands \| 2 \| U.S.S.R. \| 0 \| \| 1992 \| Denmark \| 2 \| Germany \| 0 \| \| 1996 \| Germany \| 2 \| Czech Republic \| 1 \| \| 2000 \| France \| 2 \| Italy \| 1 \| \| 2004 \| Greece \| 1 \| Portugal \| 0 \| \| 2008 \| Spain \| 1 \| Germany \| 0 \| \| 2012 \| Spain \| 4 \| Italy \| 0 \| \| 2016 \| Portugal \| 1 \| France \| 0 \| \| 2020\\ \| Italy\\\* \| 1 \| England \| 1 \| \| 2024 \| Spain \| 2 \| England \| 1 \| [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. Top Questions ### What is the World Cup? ### Why is the World Cup every four years? ### How does qualifying for the World Cup work? ### Where does World Cup prize money come from? ### Who is the World Cup’s top scorer? ## News • World Cup, in [football](https://www.britannica.com/sports/football-soccer) (soccer), quadrennial tournament of men’s national teams that determines the sport’s world champion. It is likely the most popular sporting event in the world, drawing billions of [television](https://www.britannica.com/technology/television-technology) viewers every tournament. Countries [worldwide](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/worldwide) compete vigorously, many years in advance, to host the lucrative event, and accusations of bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights have long shadowed the tournament. In fact, the [2015 FIFA corruption scandal](https://www.britannica.com/event/2015-FIFA-corruption-scandal) implicated more than two dozen [FIFA](https://www.britannica.com/topic/FIFA-game-series) officials and their associates in a 24-year self-enrichment scheme that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. The equivalent tournament for women’s national football teams is the [Women’s World Cup](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Womens-World-Cup). The first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the [Fédération Internationale de Football Association](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federation-Internationale-de-Football-Association) (FIFA) and was won by [Uruguay](https://www.britannica.com/place/Uruguay). Held every four years since that time, except during [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II), the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike [Olympic](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games) football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or [amateur](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/amateur) status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations. The trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the [Jules Rimet Trophy](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Jules-Rimet-Trophy), named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner [Brazil](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brazil) (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other [sports](https://www.britannica.com/sports/sports) have organized “World Cup” competitions. [![Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/234474-131-7CBD1A96/Serena-Williams-womens-single-trophy-Australian-Open-Januray-28-2017.jpg) Britannica Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/great-moments-in-sports-quiz) For a list of World Cup champions, see table. \| year \| result \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \Won after extra time (AET). \| \| \| \| \| \| \\Won on penalty kicks. \| \| \| \| \| \| 1930 \| Uruguay \| 4 \| Argentina \| 2 \| \| 1934 \| Italy\ \| 2 \| Czechoslovakia \| 1 \| \| 1938 \| Italy \| 4 \| Hungary \| 2 \| \| 1950 \| Uruguay \| 2 \| Brazil \| 1 \| \| 1954 \| West Germany \| 3 \| Hungary \| 2 \| \| 1958 \| Brazil \| 5 \| Sweden \| 2 \| \| 1962 \| Brazil \| 3 \| Czechoslovakia \| 1 \| \| 1966 \| England\* \| 4 \| West Germany \| 2 \| \| 1970 \| Brazil \| 4 \| Italy \| 1 \| \| 1974 \| West Germany \| 2 \| Netherlands \| 1 \| \| 1978 \| Argentina\* \| 3 \| Netherlands \| 1 \| \| 1982 \| Italy \| 3 \| West Germany \| 1 \| \| 1986 \| Argentina \| 3 \| West Germany \| 2 \| \| 1990 \| West Germany \| 1 \| Argentina \| 0 \| \| 1994 \| Brazil\\ \| 0 \| Italy \| 0 \| \| 1998 \| France \| 3 \| Brazil \| 0 \| \| 2002 \| Brazil \| 2 \| Germany \| 0 \| \| 2006 \| Italy\\ \| 1 \| France \| 1 \| \| 2010 \| Spain\* \| 1 \| Netherlands \| 0 \| \| 2014 \| Germany\* \| 1 \| Argentina \| 0 \| \| 2018 \| France \| 4 \| Croatia \| 2 \| \| 2022 \| Argentina\\ \| 3 \| France \| 3 \| [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
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