1996, England

Winner: Germany | Runner-up: Czech Republic

The tournament was the first to feature 16 teams, with four groups sending eight teams into the quarter-finals, but the main talking point was penalty shoot-outs, which were used to decide two of the quarter-finals and both semi-finals.

Host nation England produced one of their best-ever performances to beat The Netherlands 4-1 in the group stage but needed penalties to get past Spain in the quarter-finals.

France also went through on spot kicks against the Dutch while Germany beat Croatia 2-1 and the Czech Republic doused a lively Portugal 1-0. England took the lead in their semi-final against old rivals Germany but the game ended 1-1 after extra time and, just as they had in the World Cup six years earlier, the Germans proved the better men on penalties.

The other semi-final was a dull goalless draw in which the Czechs defeated France on penalties. The Wembley final was notable as the first to be decided by a sudden-death "Golden Goal".

The Czechs led through Patrik Berger's 58th-minute penalty, substitute Oliver Bierhoff headed an equaliser in the 73rd minute and the big striker settled it four minutes into extra time when his less-than-venomous shot squeezed past Czech keeper Petr Kouba.

Top goal scorer:

Alan Shearer (England) -- 5

Also see:

• 1960, France
  
• 1964, Spain
  
• 1968, Italy
  
• 1972, Belgium
  
• 1976, Yugoslavia
  
• 1980, Italy
  
• 1984, France
  
• 1988, West Germany
  
• 1992, Sweden
  
• 2000, Belgium and Holland