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UEFA Euro 2012

This article is about the sporting event. For the video game based on this event, see UEFA Euro 2012 (video game).

UEFA Euro 2012
Mistrzostwa Europy w Piłce Nożnej 2012
(in Polish)
Чемпіонат Європи з футболу 2012
(in Ukrainian)
Creating History Together
Tournament details
Host countriesPoland
Ukraine
Dates8 June – 1 July
Teams16
Venue(s)8 (in 8 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Spain (3rd title)
Runners-up Italy
Tournament statistics
Matches played31
Goals scored76 (2.45 per match)
Attendance1,440,896 (46,481 per match)
Top scorer(s)Croatia Mario Mandžukić
Germany Mario Gómez
Italy Mario Balotelli
Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo
Russia Alan Dzagoev
Spain Fernando Torres
(3 goals each)
Best player(s)Spain Andrés Iniesta
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The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 July 2012, was co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine (both first time hosts), and was won by Spain, who beat Italy in the final at the Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine.[1]

Poland and Ukraine's bid was chosen by the UEFA Executive Committee on 18 April 2007.[2] The two host teams qualified automatically while the remaining 14 finalists were decided through a qualifying competition, featuring 51 teams, from August 2010 to November 2011. This was the last European Championship to employ the 16-team finals format in use since 1996; from Euro 2016 onward, it was expanded to 24 finalists.

Euro 2012 was played at eight venues, four in each host country. Five new stadiums were built for the tournament, and the hosts invested heavily in improving infrastructure such as railways and roads at UEFA's request. Euro 2012 set attendance records for the 16-team format, for the highest aggregate attendance (1,440,896) and average per game (46,481).

Spain became the first and to date only team to win two consecutive European Championships, and also three straight major tournaments (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012).[3] Spain had already gained entry to the 2013 Confederations Cup by winning the World Cup, so runners-up Italy qualified instead. As at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, both 2012 host nations were eliminated in the group stage.

There were several players ending on a total of 3 goals but because Fernando Torres made an assist and played the fewest minutes of the players who scored three goals, he was named as the Golden Boot winner for the tournament.

  1. ^ "Spain overpower Italy to win UEFA EURO 2012". July 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Euro joy for Poland and Ukraine". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 April 2007. Archived from the original on 21 May 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Torres, Casillas & Xavi amongst record-breakers for Spain". Goal.com. 1 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.

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