What’s Your Iconic Moment in UK and European Football?

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As the nation gets set for this summer’s international football tournament, we’re taking a look back at some of the most memorable moments in UK and European football.

Paul Gascoigne’s goal for England against Scotland in 1996, outsider Greece winning the trophy in 2004 and Leicester City stunning the footballing world by winning the league in 2016: there’ve been so many great moments that it’s hard to pick a favourite.

So sit back and take a look at some of our highlights before you decide on your number-one choice. How many of these do you remember and how many did you see live at the time?

Don’t forget to check out our interactive content on the most iconic moments in football since you were born too. Here goes.

1. Leicester City Win the Top Flight English Trophy – 2016

Imagine the odds of your lifelong team lifting the Premier League trophy being set at 5,000 to 1 at the start of the season and actually seeing them win. Well, for Leicester City fans this is exactly what happened when their dreams became reality.

Manged by Claudio Ranieri, the Foxes managed to beat off strong competition from the usual suspects, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, to win the league.

This arguably marks not only one of the best moments in UK football of all time, but also, considering no one saw it coming, one of the greatest sporting surprises in history.

Sure enough there were a few big bets being cashed in at the bookies’ during this season. Will they make it two in a row in the next season? We’ll have to wait and see.

Watch the players find out that they’ve won:

2. That Paul Gascoigne Goal against Scotland – 1996

A memorable tournament greeted football fans in 1996, with England crashing out on penalties against Germany in the semi-final.

However, despite the triumph and tears, those that were old enough to watch the tournament at the time will no doubt remember Paul Gascoigne’s wonder volley against Scotland.

A perfect pass landed at Gascoigne’s feet before he lifted the ball over Scotland’s Colin Hendry and smashed it past the keeper on the volley.

A sublime and skilful goal that’s hard to pull off on the pitch, especially in a tournament environment against one of your local rivals.

Check out the goal for yourself:

3. Denmark Lift the European Trophy – 1992

Nearly as remarkable as Leicester City winning the league? We’ll leave that for you to decide.

The setting is Sweden, the year is 1992 and, after a stroke of luck with Yugoslavia getting disqualified, Denmark enter the European tournament in their place.

That’s not where the story ended, though, as they managed to go well beyond the group stages and beat Germany in the final 2-0 – an amazing achievement.

The country has not managed to repeat this achievement since, so it’s gone down as one of the most memorable moments in their own history of football, but does it go down in yours?

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Goal against France – 2012

Select any football tournament and you’re sure to find a host of glorious goals, and this one is no exception.

In 2012, playing against France in the group stages of the competition, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic volleys the ball from a long cross to smash it home past Hugo Lloris in goal.

It’s another of those goals that just gets better each time you see it, and it came so early on in the tournament.

A truly memorable goal, but has it done enough to earn its way into your most memorable moments?

What’s Your Iconic Moment in Football?

Now that you’ve reminisced about some of the highlights of European and UK football over the past 25 years, have you found your favourite and most iconic moment?

Don’t confirm just yet; instead, take a look at these iconic moments in football since you were born and discover who won the major tournaments, which moments have been crowned iconic as well as a few more facts along the way.

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If you’re watching the football on the TV while you look back and reflect, of course don’t forget to order pizza in for you and your friends and family too!

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