Greece's unexpected victory at Euro 2004, defeating host Portugal in the final, is considered one of the greatest upsets in football history.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 12th UEFA European Championship
- Host country
- Portugal
- Dates
- 12 June – 4 July 2004
- Total matches played
- 31 matches
- Venues
- 10 venues across 8 cities
- Participating teams
- 16 teams
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
UEFA held its quadrennial European Championship in Portugal for the first time. Sixteen teams qualified, including Greece, which returned to the tournament after 24 years, and Latvia, which secured its first appearance in a major tournament by eliminating Turkey in the play-offs. Qualifying began in September 2002.
Played across eight Portuguese cities from 12 June to 4 July 2004, the tournament featured major upsets: Germany, Spain, and Italy were eliminated in the group stage, and defending champions France fell to Greece in the quarter-finals. Greece defeated Portugal in both the opening match and the final, with Angelos Charisteas scoring the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory.
Greece's triumph was widely regarded as one of football's greatest shocks, given the team's negligible prior major tournament record. As champions, Greece qualified for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. The nickname 'Pirate Ship', coined spontaneously by Greek commentator Georgios Helakis, became a lasting symbol of the Greek side's unexpected run.
Result
at Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal