Europe and South America are the two poles of world football, and their overall strength is far superior to that of other continents. However, the difference between European football and South American football is also obvious, and the difference in size and scale is too great. There are more than 50 teams in Europe, while there are only 10 teams in South America. Moreover, there are at least seven or eight of Europe's traditional powerhouses, right? If we add Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia, which have become history, there are even more. And what about South America? Moreover, today's Uruguay has long been unable to keep up. Therefore, in South American football, only Brazil and Argentina are considered top teams.
It is precisely because of the scale gap that the ecological environment of the European Cup and the Copa America is completely different. Copa America, although many teams have won the championship, but the battle between Brazil and Argentina is definitely the main theme. Moreover, the two teams will meet in the finals, and I don't know how many times it has been played. Just look at the examples since the new century, no less than three times, right?
But what about the European Championships? Can you find examples of teams like Brazil and Argentina who have met in the final many times in their history?
No. Not to mention many times, not even twice.
In other words, from the beginning of the first European Cup in 1960 to the present, there has been no repetition in the previous finals, and no two teams have met in the finals twice.
You might cite the example of Germany and Czechoslovakia at Euro 1976, because in the final of Euro 1996, Germany faced the Czech Republic. But the question is, can the Czech Republic fully represent Czechoslovakia? Have you asked Slovakia's opinion? Although they are in the same vein, Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic are, after all, two different things.
This is also the ecological characteristics of the European Cup, there are too many strong teams, and the era of Spain's strongest is not the same as meeting Germany in the final, and then meeting Italy in the final. And in the 70s, when Germany was the strongest, it reached the final of three consecutive European Championships, and the opponents were completely different. Not to mention the intermittent occurrence of extreme events such as Greek mythology or Danish fairy tales in the history of the European Championship.
However, the landscape of European football is solid after all, and it is difficult for traditional powerhouses to be kicked out of the first group. And with the increasing number of European Championships, the finals will be repeated sooner or later. After all, there are only a few strong teams, and in terms of probability, there will definitely be a scene where two teams will meet in the finals for the second time.
So, will this happen at Euro 2024?
Let's break it down. First of all, France is definitely the strongest team in Europe at the moment. Historically, France has reached the final three times against Spain, Italy, and Portugal. All three teams have not only reached Euro 2024, but they all have the quality to win the title. So in terms of probability, France may be able to renew the final with one of these teams.
Also, don't underestimate Germany. Although Germany is at a low ebb, it generally does not disappoint when it comes to its own competitions. Germany has reached the European Championship final six times in its history, the highest number in European football. 6 opponents include the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Spain. Among them, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia are gone, Denmark and the Czech Republic have the strength to make it difficult to reach the final, and Belgium and Spain are indeed likely to meet Germany in the final again.
Of course, this is just to take France and Germany as examples. In fact, there are some final combinations, and it is also possible that there will be a second time, for example, Spain vs. Italy. So let's wait and see if Euro 2024 will feature version 2.0 of a classic final.