HistoryData
sports1972

UEFA Euro 1972 finals — final game of the UEFA Euro 1972

June 18, 1972

West Germany's 3–0 victory over the Soviet Union at Heysel Stadium secured the nation's first-ever UEFA European Championship title.

Quick Facts

Year
1972
Category
sports

Key Facts

Final score
West Germany 3–0 Soviet Union
Attendance
43,437 spectators
Venue
Heysel Stadium, Brussels
Referee
Ferdinand Marschall (Austria)
Tournament edition
Fourth European Championship final
West Germany's title
First European Championship in national history

Location

Map of Brussels, BelgiumMap of Brussels, BelgiumBrussels, Belgium

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

West Germany advanced to the final by topping their qualifying group ahead of Turkey, Albania, and Poland, then eliminating England in the quarter-finals and tournament hosts Belgium in the semi-finals. The Soviet Union, two-time finalists, won their qualifying group containing Cyprus, Spain, and Northern Ireland, before defeating Yugoslavia and Hungary in the knockout rounds.

Event

On 18 June 1972 at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, West Germany faced the Soviet Union in the UEFA Euro 1972 final, contested before 43,437 spectators and refereed by Austria's Ferdinand Marschall. West Germany dominated the match, winning 3–0 to claim victory in the fourth edition of the UEFA European Championship.

Consequence

The result gave West Germany their first-ever UEFA European Championship title, marking the nation as a leading force in European international football. The Soviet Union, competing in their third final, were defeated without scoring, cementing West Germany's dominance in the tournament.

Result

West Germany
3–0
Soviet Union

at Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium

West Germany's first UEFA European Championship title

Timeline Context

Timeline around 197219721969197019711973197419751972 Summer Olympics medal tableBasketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics — Basketball events at the 1972 Summer Olympics1972 Nixon visit to China — official United States visit to the People's Republic of China, leading to establishment of diplomatic relations1972 AFC Asian Cup — international football competition1972 Summer Olympics — Games of the XX Olympiad, in Munich, West GermanyEurovision Song Contest 1972 — 17th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest1972 African Cup of Nations — football tournament1972–73 European Cup — 18th season of the UEFA club football tournamentuefa-euro-1972-finals-final-game-of-the-uefa-euro-1972-1972