Highest-scoring games in EURO history

The first UEFA European Championship fixture may have featured more goals than any finals match since, but there has been no shortage of high-scoring affairs in the interim.

Here are the 14 highest-scoring games in EURO history – can you guess the nation involved in no fewer than five of them?

Nine goals – once

1960 semi-finals: France 4-5 Yugoslavia

The opening game of the inaugural tournament produced an encounter barely matched for drama since. Early blows were traded before France went 2-1 up just before half-time, yet there was little sign of the explosion of goals to come. Les Bleus doubled their advantage twice – either side of Ante Žanetić's 55th-minute effort – to lead 4-2 with a quarter of an hour left, but three goals in five minutes turned the match on its head in remarkable fashion.

Eight goals – once

2020 round of 16: Croatia 3-5 Spain (aet)

Despite falling behind in bizarre fashion due to Pedri's long-range own goal, Spain levelled before the interval and took a 3-1 lead with 13 minutes left via César Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres. That looked to be that. Instead, Mislav Oršić (85) and Mario Pašalić (90+2) forced extra time, only for Álvaro Morata to restore the Spanish advantage with a fine strike. Mikel Oyarzabal then finally ended Croatia's brave challenge, making Spain the first team ever to score five goals in consecutive matches at a EURO final tournament.

Seven goals – three times

2000 group stage: Yugoslavia 3-4 Spain

Spain looked dead and buried as this, their final group game, wound to a close. José Antonio Camacho's side required a win to go through but trailed ten-man Yugoslavia 3-2 as the match entered added time. Gaizka Mendieta's penalty drew the Spaniards level but they still needed to eke out another goal; Alfonso Pérez duly hammered in his second of the day and pandemonium ensued. Yugoslavia, at least, could be consoled by the fact that they went through too.

2000 quarter-finals: Netherlands 6-1 Yugoslavia

An all-singing, all-dancing display from the Dutch that remains the only occasion in EURO finals history when a team has scored six. Three of those strikes came from Patrick Kluivert – a man who, at the height of his career, had eyes only for the back of the net – and two courtesy of the vivacious wing play of Marc Overmars. However, this was not about any one player – it was Frank Rijkaard's side's overall destruction of a Yugoslavia team so fluent in the group stage.

2016 quarter-finals: France 5-2 Iceland

France turned on the style as Iceland's UEFA EURO 2016 dream threatened to descend into nightmare in Saint-Denis. The finals' smallest nation – one in 12 of Iceland's population had travelled to France to support them – went into the game on a high after stunning England in the last 16, but the merciless hosts ensured no repeat as they raced into a 4-0 half-time lead. True to form, the minnows fought to the last, outscoring their opponents after the break.

Six goals – nine times

1976 semi-finals: Yugoslavia 2-4 West Germany (aet)

With West Germany two down inside half an hour, the holders' title defence was on the rocks. Helmut Schön's 1974 FIFA World Cup winners did not deal in capitulations, however, and were on level terms with eight minutes left thanks to Heinz Flohe and substitute Dieter Müller. The latter hit two more in the last six minutes of extra time to complete his hat-trick and put West Germany through to a showpiece against Czechoslovakia – not a bad international debut for the striker.

1996 group stage: Russia 3-3 Czech Republic

A match of twists and turns which so nearly spelled the end of EURO '96 for the Czechs, who had been two to the good inside 20 minutes. Their lead was gone just after half-time, however, and they were behind with five minutes left. Defeat would have meant Italy qualifying from Group C in place of Dušan Uhrin's men, but Vladimír Šmicer came to the rescue with two minutes remaining – that dramatic conclusion marking the start of a memorable tournament for the Czechs.

2000 group stage: Yugoslavia 3-3 Slovenia

To suggest the odds were stacked against Yugoslavia with 30 minutes left would be to do them a great disservice. Slovenia were not only 3-0 up after two Zlatko Zahovič goals and Miran Pavlin's header, they also had a man advantage following Siniša Mihajlović's dismissal on the hour. However, Yugoslavia did not know they were beaten and hauled it back to 3-3 with goals on 67, 70 and 73 minutes, Ivan Dudić's late goal-line clearance ensuring their hard work did not go to waste.

2004 group stage: Croatia 2-4 England

Having burst onto the scene with two goals against Switzerland in England's previous game, Wayne Rooney truly announced himself on the European stage with this display. Sven-Göran Eriksson's team were behind early on, yet Paul Scholes drew them level before Rooney's brace put England firmly in charge. Each side traded further efforts, but Rooney's influence had already secured England's progress beyond the group stage for the first time on foreign soil.

2012 quarter-finals: Germany 4-2 Greece

When Giorgios Samaras cancelled out Philipp Lahm's opener ten minutes after the interval, Greece may have had visions of a semi-final berth. However, three goals in the space of 14 minutes – Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus on the mark – soon put paid to that. Dimitris Salpingidis's late penalty was nothing more than a consolation. Indeed, this was a world-record 15th consecutive competitive win for Germany, but that run was ended by Italy in the last four.

2016 group stage: Hungary 3-3 Portugal

Portugal's UEFA EURO 2016 ambitions hung by a thread on a remarkable afternoon in Lyon. Three times, surprise Group F leaders Hungary were ahead but each time they were pegged back. Cometh the hour, cometh Cristiano Ronaldo, who celebrated his record 17th EURO finals appearance with two goals that made him the first player to score in four separate editions. Portugal were through by the skin of their teeth; three weeks later, they were European champions.

2020 group stage: Portugal 2-4 Germany

Die Mannschaft needed a response to the tame defeat by France in their opening game but Cristiano Ronaldo's opener added to their problems. However, the turnaround from Joachim Löw's side was as outstanding as their football. Two own goals had Germany in front before half-time, then Robin Gosens ensured no way back for the European champions – the wing-back first setting up Kai Havertz and soon afterwards heading in to make it 4-1 by the hour mark. Diogo Jota's reply was of little value for Portugal.

2020 round of 16: France 3-3 Switzerland (aet, pens: 4-5)

On the same day Spain won that eight-goal thriller against Croatia, this takes the prize as the highest-scoring EURO finals match to end in a penalty shoot-out. Haris Seferović's towering header gave Switzerland a half-time lead but Karim Benzema's double and a stunning Paul Pogba effort appeared to have sent France through. Back came the Nati, though, with Seferović and Mario Gavranović sending the contest to extra time and, eventually, penalties. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer had the final say, saving the tenth spot kick of the shoot-out from Kylian Mbappé to give Switzerland their first ever victory in the knockout stages.

2024 group stage: Germany 5-1 Scotland

Hosts Germany hit the ground running in their EURO 2024 opener in Munich. Goals from youngsters Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala gave Julian Nagelsmann's team a two-goal cushion midway through the first half, before Kai Havertz made it 3-0 from the spot before the interval after Ryan Porteous had been dismissed. Second-half substitute Niklas Füllkrug struck a sublime fourth and although Antonio Rüdiger's own goal gave Steve Clarke's team a late consolation, Emre Can wrapped up a comfortable victory with a low effort into the bottom corner.