When Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net in Portugal’s Euro 2020 opener with Hungary, he became the top goal scorer in tournament history. Ronaldo’s status as one of the all-time greats of the European Championship is assured. He is joining some genuine football royalty – let’s meet a few of the others who always seemed to find their very best form at the Euros.  

 

Andres Iniesta 

As Spain’s football bosses sat down to look at the Euro cup 2020 match schedule at the start of this year’s campaign and prepared their team sheet, it was the first time they had done so without being able to call upon the services of Andres Iniesta in almost 20 years. The indifferent performances in the group matches showed just how much he was missed.  

 

He was a constant presence in Spain’s midfield for well over a decade, but his finest moment came in 2012, when he and fellow midfielder Xavi seemed to be the only men on the field. He was instrumental in orchestrating Spain’s 4-0 win over Italy in the final and was the only logical choice for Player of the Tournament. 

 

Zinedine Zidane 

 

Zidane made his Euro debut in 1996, and although his opportunities were limited, he scored in penalty shoot outs at both the quarter final and semi final stages. Four years later, Euro 2000 was an absolute classic, and Zinadine Zidane was the star of the show from beginning to end. His bullet of a free kick in the semi final saw France through to the last four, and in a nervy and ill-tempered semi with Portugal, it needed his cool head to find the back of the net when France were awarded a controversial penalty. 

 

Zidane was the man France could always turn to in a crisis around the turn of the millennium, and at Euro 2000 he was at the absolute height of his powers. In 2004 he was back and in the first game he scored twice in stoppage time to turn what seemed a certain defeat into the most unlikely 2-1 victory.  

 

Michel Platini 

 

Platini might be better known to younger football fans as the UEFA boss embroiled in ethics shenanigans. But history will far longer remember his heroics out in the middle in the late 1970s and the early 80s. It all came together in the most magical way possible when France hosted the tournament in 1984.  

 

The man from Jœuf treated the football world to what is still regarded as one of the greatest tournament performances by a single individual that has ever been witnessed. And it was all in front of his home fans. To say Platini was on top form is an immense understatement. He scored in every game, including back to back hat tricks in the encounters with Belgium and Yugoslavia. It’s hard to imagine a single player dominating a tournament today like Platini did in 1984, and that makes him the ultimate European Championship legend.