In a few hours the Georgian team will play the decisive match of its debut in the Euro Cup. On this occasion Willy Sagnol’s team will face the Portuguese. Let’s remember how other teams performed in their first tournament. The selection includes teams from the last five European championships.
Latvia (Europe 2004)
Soccer players of the Latvian national team (in dark uniforms) at Euro 2004
Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Latvia is the only debutant in the Euro Cup that was held in Portugal. The team never returned to the tournament. At Euro 2004, Latvia found itself in a very difficult group: it was clearly unlucky in the draw. Despite this, the Latvians put up a worthy resistance to their two rivals. At first the Czechs beat them with great difficulty. They were on fire 0:1, but in the end they scored two goals. And then Starkov’s group took points from Germany with a score of 0:0. It is true that in the last round Latvia lost without a chance against the Netherlands 0-3 and took the last place in the group.
Austria (Europe 2008)
The Austrians (in red uniform) celebrate a goal against Poland
Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
This team played the European Championship for the first time in 2008, and only because the tournament was held in Austria and Switzerland. The Austrians played all three group stage games in Vienna. And each match did not please us with a large number of goals scored. The Austrians could not face the Croatians (0-1) and the Germans (0-1), but they took points from Poland (1-1). All thanks to the penalty taken in the 90+3 minute. There was no talk of reaching the playoffs, but the Austrians avoided the last place in the group (in additional indicators they were ahead of the Poles). After that, Austria also moved on to Euro 2016 (last place in the group) and Euro 2020 (qualification to the round of 16). Very soon we will know what result the team will achieve in this tournament.
Poland (Europe 2008)
Poland national team players did not qualify from the group for Euro 2008
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
The Poles made it to the European Championship for the first time in 2008, but have not missed this tournament since then. Sixteen years ago, they did not achieve anything interesting. After three matches, Poland scored only one point and finished last in the group. The team lost to Germany (0:2) and Croatia (0:1), and also missed out on a win against Austria (1:1). The Poles have played in the European Championship four times, but only in 2016 did they make it to the playoffs (they reached the quarter-finals). In the other three cases, they finished last in the group.
Ukraine (Europe 2012)
Ukrainian national footballer Anatoly Tymoshchuk (foreground) in a match with France
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
The Ukrainian national team had its first performance at the European Championship in a home tournament. The victory belongs to the joint candidacy with Poland and no selection is necessary. True, the Ukrainians ended up in a rather difficult group. A resounding victory in the match against the Swedes (2-1) in the 1st round was not enough to qualify for the playoffs. This was followed by the defeats of France (0-2) and England (0-1). Then, only the top two teams from each quartet advanced to the playoffs. No ranking of third teams. Ukraine did not reach the playoffs, as in 2016. But at Euro 2020 the team reached the quarterfinals.
Albania (Europe 2016)
The Albanian national team did not qualify from the group for Euro 2016
Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
The Albanian national team never participated in the World Championship, but twice reached the finals of the Euro Cup. The first trip took place in 2016. It was in France that the Albanian team achieved its first and so far only victory in the European Championship. June 19, 2016 is a historic date for all Albanian football. That day the team beat Romania (1-0). However, they still did not make the playoffs. And all because before that the Albanians lost both to Switzerland (0-1) and to France (0-2). Of the six teams that finished third in the groups, Albania was sixth.
Euro 2024 is the second major tournament for Albanians. They scored one point after three games. Thus, Albania returns home after the group stage.
Northern Ireland (Europe 2016)
The Northern Ireland team was eliminated from Euro 2016 in the round of 16
Photo: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
The Northern Ireland team only qualified for Euro 2016. This was their first and so far last participation in a continental tournament. It is curious that before this the team reached the World Cup three times (1958, 1982, 1986). At the European Championship in France, the Northern Irish immediately jumped to the round of 16. The victory in round 2 was enough: the team beat Ukraine (2-0). Before, Northern Ireland lost to Poland (0-1) and then to Germany (0-1). Among the six teams that finished third in the groups, the Northern Irish came fourth. Thanks to the difference between goals scored and lost. The team did not stay in the playoffs for long: they lost to Wales (0:1) in the round of 16 match.
Iceland (Europe 2016)
The Icelanders surprised the football world at the Euro Cup in France
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
There have been two great tournaments in the history of the Icelandic national team. He reached the European Championship in France and the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In the first tournament, the Icelanders were much more successful. First they left the group and did it directly. The Icelanders shared points with Portugal (1-1) and Hungary (1-1), after which they defeated Austria (2-1). The winning goal in added time and second place. The Icelanders did not stop there. In the round of 16 they eliminated the English (2-1), but then this fairy tale ended. The French proved too powerful in the quarterfinals: Iceland lost 2-5. Two years later, in Russia, the Icelanders took last place in the group.
Wales (Europe 2016)
The Welsh team had a good performance in its debut in the Euro Cup
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
Perhaps the great premiere of the Euro Cup in France. The Welsh reached a continental tournament for the first time in history and immediately reached the semi-finals. In the group stage, Wales put pressure on Slovakia (2-1), lost to England (1-2) and then hurt the Russian team (3-0). Result: first place in the group with six points (the British had five). In addition, victories in matches against Northern Ireland (1-0) and Belgium (3-1). But if the result of the first match was as expected, the result of the match with the Belgians was sensational. In the semifinals, Wales could not face Portugal (0-2) and four years later they were eliminated from the European Championship in the round of 16.
Finland (Europe 2020)
Finnish footballers try to take the ball from Alexander Golovin (in dark uniform))
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Euro 2020 is the only major tournament in the history of the Finnish national team. Neither before nor after being selected anywhere else. In November 2019, the team took second place in the qualifying group, behind only the Italians. At the European Championship itself, the Finns played twice in St. Petersburg. Things didn’t go very well: two defeats. Their only victory was in Copenhagen, where they beat the Danes (1-0). It seems that everything could have been different if Christian Eriksen had not lost consciousness on the field. The locals, surprised, finished the game, but without success.
But two trips to St. Petersburg ended unsuccessfully for the Finns: they lost to Russia (0:1) and Belgium (0:2). Three teams had three points at once, so we had to count additional indicators. The Finns finished in third place, but did not reach the round of 16. It’s all about goal difference. Four of the six teams that finished third in the groups advanced to the playoffs. The Finns are fifth on this list.
North Macedonia (Europe 2020)
North Macedonia did not qualify from the group for Euro 2020
Photo: Peter Dejong/Getty Images
In qualifying for Euro 2020, the Macedonians remained in third place: Poland and Austria occupied higher places in the table. But the team had another opportunity (the play-offs) and took advantage of it. They defeated Kosovo (2-1) and Georgia (1-0) and hello, Euro. It is true that North Macedonia had an ignominious performance there. Three defeats in three games, last place in the group. They lost to Austria (1-3), Ukraine (1-2) and Holland (0-3). By the way, all teams in this group advanced to the playoffs.
Later, the Macedonians were on the verge of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but were one step away. Second place in the classification group. There was no chance to compete with the Germans, although the Macedonians beat their rival on the road (2-1). Then came the play-offs. First, North Macedonia surprised Italy (1-0), but then could not cope with Portugal (0-2). So it was Cristiano Ronaldo who flew to Qatar, not the Balkan team.
