Football consistently provides memorable moments, whether it be through shocking upsets or ridiculous comebacks against the odds.
Amazing goals are also part and parcel of the game, with fans always remembering the very best scored for their clubs and countries.
The European Championship is no different – and it is a tournament graced by many moments of magic.
With Euro 2024 just around the corner, Football FanCast has decided to rank the greatest goals in the history of the European Championships – so enjoy this rollercoaster ride of nostalgia…
10 Maniche v Netherlands – Euro 2004
Kicking things off with a goal from Euro 2004, which saw Greece go all the way against the odds.
After eliminating England in the quarter-finals, Portugal took on the Netherlands and once again they prevailed.
A young Cristiano Ronaldo put his country ahead and then played a big role in the second goal.
He took a quick corner that caught the Dutch players off guard, with his quick-thinking giving Maniche the time and space to strike from distance. The former Chelsea and Inter loanee made no mistake in firing a scorcher beyond the reaches of Edwin van der Sar, who wasn't best pleased by the whole ordeal.
9 Tomas Brolin v England – Euro 1992
Next we are with England – albeit a goal they were on the receiving end of.
Tomas Brolin was playing on home soil for Sweden when he rounded off the perfect team move in the group stages against Graham Taylor’s England.
Brolin played it back and forth with his teammates before poking the ball beyond Chris Woods and making it 2-1 to the host nation, cancelling out David Platt’s early strike.
This was Brolin’s second goal of the tournament after he scored the only goal against Denmark in their second group game – Sweden progressed in top spot whilst England were dumped out of the tournament with just two points to their name.
Sweden reached the semi-finals where they were then defeated by eventual runners-up Germany, while Brolin shared the Golden Boot with Henrik Larsen of Denmark, Germany's Karl-Heinz Riedle and the Netherlands’ Dennis Bergkamp.
8 Davor Suker v Denmark – Euro 1996
Denmark won the tournament in 1992, but were unable to repeat the feat four years later when England took on the role of hosts.
In fact, the Danes didn’t even make it out of the group despite having four points to their name, as Croatia and Portugal progressed at their expense.
Davor Suker scored two of the three goals as the Croats made light work of the defending champions, and whilst his first was from the penalty spot, the second was a thing of beauty.
Suker, who played for the likes of Sevilla, Real Madrid and Arsenal, made Peter Schmeichel look foolish – which isn’t a straightforward accomplishment.
His first touch took the ball perfectly into space, and after nudging it forward with his second, he spotted Schmeichel off his line at Hillsborough and pulled off the most delicate of chips with his left foot.
7 David Trezeguet v Italy – Euro 2000
Italy were on the brink of beating a superb French team in 2000 when former Arsenal man Sylvain Wiltord popped up in the 94th minute with an equaliser.
The final then went to extra time, with the prospect of a golden goal capable of immediately ending proceedings in the most dramatic of fashions.
David Trezeguet was subbed into the game in the place of Youri Djorkaeff with 76 minutes having passed.
It proved to be an inspired substitution by Roger Lemerre, as his super-sub fired home the decisive strike. The ball was sent in slightly behind him, but the Juventus great was able to react and produce the sweetest of strikes with his left foot. It was to be the last European Championship decided in such a way.
6 Ronnie Whelan v USSR – Euro 1988
There wasn’t a whole lot expected of the Irish when they made the trip to West Germany in 1988, although they had the legendary Jack Charlton at the helm, while Chris Hughton and Niall Quinn were amongst the players in their arsenal.
They beat England thanks to a goal from Ray Houghton – but it isn't that effort that earns a place on this list.
Instead, it was Ronnie Whelan's strike in his side’s 1-1 draw with the eventual finalists, the Soviet Union.
A long throw looked to have missed its target only for Whelan to spring into action and acrobatically launch himself at the ball. Fans of Irish football haven’t had too many moments at major tournaments to be excited about, but this is definitely one of them.
5 Rui Costa vs England – Euro 2004
England are on the receiving end of yet another stunner, but this time it is courtesy of Portugal’s Rui Costa.
Portugal were the hosts of the 2004 European Championship and got to the final, only to be defeated by Greece in one of the biggest footballing fairytales ever witnessed.
Michael Owen’s early goal was matched by Helder Postiga late on, before Portugal took the lead in extra-time through Rui Costa.
Costa, who played over 200 times for Fiorentina in Serie A as well as representing AC Milan, was allowed to keep running at David James' goal, with Phil Neville’s pursuit of him being in vain.
As Neville hit the deck, the space was there for Costa to shoot, and shoot he did, almost tearing a hole in the net given the power on his effort.
Frank Lampard made it 2-2 shortly after and Rui Costa was actually the only player on his side to miss in the penalty shootout that followed. Meanwhile, David Beckham missed England’s first attempt and it was Darius Vassell who was unable to convert when it mattered most.
4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic v Italy – Euro 2004
This next goal took place just six days prior to Rui Costa's.
Journeyman striker Antonio Cassano had given Italy the lead in their second group game and there was even more riding on it given that they started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Denmark.
Up stepped a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had scored one of the five goals in Sweden’s opener against Bulgaria in 2004, to strike back in dramatic fashion.
There was a huge scramble in the box at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon took a chance to charge at the loose ball. Unfortunately for him, so did Ibrahimovic, who just about beat the Italian icon to it.
With his back to goal and Buffon right behind him, it seemed impossible for Ibrahimovic to do anything, and yet he did.
A deft flick back over his shoulder beat Buffon and then painstakingly looped over the head of Christian Vieri, despite his best efforts to clear it off the line.
3 Paul Gascoigne v Scotland – Euro 1996
England finally have the boot on the right foot as we break into the podium spots with one of the most iconic goals in their recent history.
The media were hounding Gazza and co in the buildup to this tournament and it seemed almost as if they wanted the Three Lions to fail for the benefit of their front pages.
Moments after David Seaman saved a penalty, he sent the ball long and it was headed down into the path of Gascoigne.
There isn't much need to describe it given that everyone plenty will have watched it countless times, but we’ll do it anyway. He flicked the ball over the head of Colin Hendry and then emphatically fired the ball into the bottom corner on its way down.
The goal itself is historic and couldn’t have been scored by a better player, but the 'dentist chair' celebration is what helps take it to new heights. A goal for the ages and a celebration to match.
2 Marco van Basten v USSR – Euro 1988
Many will tell you that Marco van Basten scored the greatest goal in the history of the European Championship, and they may well be right, but the Dutchman just misses out on top spot, here.
The Soviet Union must have had a hard time of it having conceded Ronnie Whelan’s goal earlier in the tournament – yet that wouldn't end up as the best goal they conceded at Euro 88.
Van Basten’s volley from an impossible angle is written into footballing folklore and deservedly so – plus to take it to new heights, it was scored in the final itself.
Ruud Gullit had already given the Netherlands the lead against the USSR, before Van Basten struck like lightning at the Olympiastadion.
Adri van Tiggelen intercepted the ball, drove forward and played it to Ajax’s Arnold Mühren.
His deep cross was clearly intended for Van Basten, but it seemed to have pushed him out too wide, only for the three-time Ballon d’Or winner to watch the ball come down and smash it back over the head of Rinat Dasayev from the tightest of angles.
To further add to the drama and magic, this was his fifth goal of the tournament as he eased to Golden Boot success ahead of Oleh Protasov and Rudi Völler, who scored two each.
1 Antonin Panenka v West Germany – Euro 1976
The oldest goal on this list may not be the greatest in traditional terms, but it is certainly the most iconic.
Euro 76 was decided by a penalty shootout, with Czechoslovakia and West Germany battling it out for the title.
Antonin Panenka stepped up with the power in his hands to earn the Czechs their first European title. He sprinted up to the ball before delicately chipping it down the middle, to the surprise of football fans around the world.
Panenka’s goal has since accrued his name, and so it has to be one of the greatest and most iconic moments of the European Championship.
