The Euro 2024 excitement increased in the quarterfinal stage as it gave some stunning results. While there were no more upsets or goal-fest, the last eight gave a lot of narratives to be remembered for. Spain and Germany played out a heavyweight clash followed by the 2016 final repeat between France with England taking on Switzerland and underdogs Turkey facing the challenge of the Netherlands. Eventually, Spain, France, England and the Netherlands booked their spot in the semifinals.
La Roja maintained their 100% win record in Euro 2024 as they eliminated the tournament host with a last-minute winner from substitute Mikel Merino. Luis de la Fuente’s team got ahead in the game early in the second half through another substitute Dani Olmo but Die Mannshaft pegged back with Florian Wirtz’s equaliser towards the end of normal time. Julian Nagelsmann’s side failed to find the winner in their late flurry or surge in extra-time allowing Spain to enter consecutive Euro semi finals.
A nervy game was played between France and Portugal with both teams missing clear-cut opportunities under pressure. After a goalless 120 minutes, penalties ensured that Les Bleus triumphed 5-3 in the shootout with the winning spot-kick coming from Theo Hernández. The two-time winners progressed to their fourth semi final while the Selecao failed at back-to-back quarterfinals in the World Cup and Euro combined.
England faced a similar situation against Switzerland quickly responding after going down in the 75th minute from a Breel Embolo goal to equalise through Bukayo Saka. With extra time not enough to separate the two sides, the Three Lions had to take on the daunting task of the shootout to progress to the semifinals. Gareth Southgate’s men did their job elegantly by scoring from all five penalties while Jordan Pickford saved the crucial ones from the opposition.
An upset was on the cards when Samet Acadin gave Turkey the lead against the Netherlands in the 35th minute. However, just as they did against Poland in their group winner, the Dutch made a comeback in the second half with Stefan de Vrij's headed leveller in the 70th minute and Cody Gakpo forcing a Merta Mulder own goal six minutes later. The Netherlands will compete in the semifinals in any major competition for the first time since the 2014 World Cup and in the Euro after 2004.
Euro 2024 Quarterfinals Records
Spain 2-1 Germany (AET)
Only Italy with 10 have gone to extra time in more games at the European Championship than Spain (9) in the competition's history, with the Iberian side progressing in seven.
Spain has won five of the last nine meetings with Germany which is more than their four-match winning tally in the 18 matches prior.
La Roja also defeated Die Mannschaft for the first time at the opposition's ground in nine meetings.
The team has beaten the host nation at a major international tournament for the first time in their history after failing at their previous nine attempts. They are also the first to knock out Germany or a host nation from a Euro quarter-final stage.
Germany lost a Men’s Euro quarter-final for the first time in their history. They are also winless against Spain in seven competitive matches, their last victory came in the only other European Championship on home soil in 1988.
Lamine Yamal is the first teenager to provide three assists, the most in Euro 2024, at a single European Championship. He also created 14 chances at Euro 2024, the most by any teenager in a major tournament.
Dani Olmo has been involved in four goals as a substitute at the European Championship with two goals and two assists. Only Cesc Fàbregas has a better tally among all the players in the competition's history with two goals and three assists.
Also, the Leipzig star is the first Spanish player to score multiple goals as a substitute in the Euros and the third to do so in a major international tournament.
At 21 years and 63 days, Florian Wirtz became Germany's youngest goalscorer in a European Championship knockout match.
Manuel Neuer has now made more appearances at major international tournaments with 39 than any other German player, breaking Bastian Schweinsteiger's record. The only European player to have more is Cristiano Ronaldo with 51.
Portugal 0-0 France (3-5 on penalties)
Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score for the first time at a major international tournament. His 23 shots at Euro 2024 without scoring are the most attempts by a player without finding the net at a major tournament since the 2010 World Cup.
Ronaldo has also taken 61 direct free-kicks at major international tournaments without scoring a goal. However, the Portuguese football star has scored more shootout penalties than any other player in European Championship history with four.
Six of Portugal's last eight knockout round matches at the European Championships have now gone to extra-time. This was their first shootout defeat in the tournament since Euro 2012.
The Selecao have gone three consecutive European Championship matches without scoring for the first time in their history.
N'Golo Kanté is the first European player to make 20 or more appearances at major international tournaments without losing a single game.
No substitute created more chances in a single game at the European Championships than Ousmane Dembélé did against Portugal with six, equalling Cesc Fàbregas' record for Spain against Russia in 2008.
England 1-1 Switzerland (5-3 on penalties)
Kobbie Mainoo became the second youngest England player aged 19 years and 78 days to start a major tournament quarter-final for the men's team after Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004 vs Portugal aged 18 years and 244 days.
England scored all five of their penalties against Switzerland in the shootout, only the second time they have managed to convert all their penalties in a major competition also doing so in Euro 1994.
Gareth Southgate has reached the semi-final of the men’s European Championship twice, as many times as every other England manager combined.
Switzerland have been eliminated in all of their five quarter-finals at World Cups or Euros, the most by any European nation.
Bukayo Saka has scored more goals at major international tournaments than David Beckham with four goals to three.
It is the second time in the history of the European Championship that at least three quarter-final matches go to extra time after 2008
Netherlands 2-1 Turkey
Netherlands reached the semi-finals of the European Championship for the sixth time in history, with only Germany reaching the last four more often at the Euros with nine.
The Netherlands also won two knockout round games at a single edition of the men's European Championships for the first time since 1988.
For the first time since the 1994 World Cup, Netherlands conceded the opening goal in three matches in a single major tournament.
Turkey’s Ferdi Kadıoğlu made more tackles than any other player in Euro 2024 with 18. Still in the competition, England’s Declan Rice has the chance to overtake him with 16 tackles made so far.
For the first time in European Championship history, two teenagers (Lamine Yamal of Spain and Arda Guler of Turkey) have provided multiple assists in a single tournament.
