UEFA Euro 2000

European football tournament.

Euro 2000 was co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from June 10 to July 2, marking the first time the tournament was held in multiple countries. The event featured 16 teams, with Belgium and the Netherlands qualifying automatically as hosts. Other notable bids included Spain and Austria. The tournament took place in eight venues across both nations, including the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels for the opening match and the Feijenoord Stadium in Rotterdam for the final.

The group stage was filled with surprises and memorable moments. Belgium started strong by defeating Sweden 2-1 but suffered defeats against Italy and Turkey, finishing third in Group B and being eliminated in the group stage—a first for a host nation since the tournament adopted this format. Meanwhile, the Netherlands advanced to the semi-finals with impressive performances, including a dominant 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia, where Patrick Kluivert scored a hat-trick.

In the knockout rounds, France showcased their talent, defeating Spain in the quarter-finals. The semi-finals saw France face the Netherlands, winning 3-2 in a thrilling match that featured a late equalizer from Lilian Thuram. The final took place on July 2, 2000, where France faced Italy. Italy initially took the lead through Marco Delvecchio, but France equalized with a last-minute goal from Sylvain Wiltord. The match ended with a golden goal from David Trezeguet in extra time, securing France's second consecutive major title.

Individually, Patrick Kluivert and Savo Milošević were joint top scorers of the tournament with five goals each. Zinedine Zidane was named Player of the Tournament for his exceptional performances. Euro 2000 is often regarded as one of the greatest European Championships due to its high-quality matches and dramatic moments. The next tournament, Euro 2004, was scheduled to be held in Portugal.