Germany’s Impressive Record Falls as They Exit Euro Finals for the First Time in History

In the quarterfinals of this year’s European Championship, the host nation Germany lost to Spain 1-2 after extra time, thus ending their quest for a semifinal spot. Remarkably, this marks the first time that Germany has been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA European Championship since the tournament format expanded and introduced this stage in 1996.

Before this Euro, Germany had undoubtedly been the king of quarterfinals. In 1996, when the quarterfinals were introduced, they faced Croatia and won 2-1 with goals from Klinsmann and Sammer, eventually lifting the trophy. In 2008, they defeated Portugal 3-2 in their second quarterfinal appearance, with Schweinsteiger, Klose, and Ballack scoring for the German team.

At the 2012 Euros, Germany met Greece in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semis with a 4-2 victory, thanks to goals from Lahm, Khedira, Klose, and Reus. In 2016, when the tournament expanded to 24 teams, Germany faced Italy in the quarters. After a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time, they triumphed in a penalty shootout to progress.

Up until now, every time Germany reached the quarterfinal stage, they advanced, and no other team had at least twice made it through the quarterfinals in consecutive appearances. Powerhouses like France, Italy, and Spain couldn’t match this consistency. However, with Germany’s elimination by Spain in this Euro’s quarterfinals, their impressive streak comes to an end.