The 2024 European Cup will be unveiled in the early morning of June 15th. So for us who are thousands of miles away, what should we watch in the European Cup? Do you really know enough about this event? Today, let’s take fans and friends to learn some “hot knowledge” about the European Cup.
1. This year is the 17th European Cup
The first European Cup was in 1960, 64 years ago, and now it has reached the 17th one. The European Cup is held every four years, but there are exceptions: the last European Cup was originally supposed to be held in 2020, but due to well-known reasons, it had to be postponed by one year to 2021.
2. The host of the European Cup is Germany
This year's European Cup is held in Germany. This is the second time since 1988 that they have become the host. There are 10 stadiums hosting the event, from Munich to Berlin, from Frankfurt to Dortmund. However, in history, only three hosts have been able to win the championship.
3. There are 24 teams participating in the European Cup.
In the initial European Cup finals, only 4 teams participated. In 1980, it was expanded to 8 teams, and in 1996, it was expanded to 16 teams. Starting from 2016, 24 teams will participate in each European Cup.
4. The third place in the group also has a chance to qualify.
24 team is divided into 6 groups, each group has 4 teams. The top two will directly qualify and enter the top 16. The other 4 best third place teams will also qualify. It is worth mentioning that Portugal won the championship in 2016 as third in the group.
5.Championship Trophy - Delaunay Cup
The championship trophy of the European Cup is called the Delaunay Cup, not the De Bruyne Cup! Henri Delaunay was the first Secretary-General in the history of UEFA and the first person to propose the concept of the European Cup. Unfortunately, he passed away before the European Cup was founded.
6. Only one team successfully defended the title
Speaking of championships, Germany and Spain have won the most championships, both three times. Spain is the only team in history to successfully defend the title. They completed two consecutive championships from 2008 to 2012. crown.
7. There are so many awards.
In addition to the championship, the European Cup also has various awards: mvp for the best player in the tournament, Golden Boot Award for the top scorer, best young player (under 21 years old), best team of the tournament, After each game, the best player of the game will also be selected.