After the World Cup, winning a continental competition is the biggest honour for a footballer at international level.
And if that player is born in Europe, the tournament in question is the European Championship.
Even outside Europe, it is seen as a prestigious event, sometimes even referred to as “a World Cup without Brazil and Argentina”.
For the winners, it can be the pinnacle of their careers. Some, however, have won the trophy without playing a single minute. Here, a look at some of the players who did just that…
32. Kostas Chalkias
Kostas Chalkias was in goal for Greece at Euro 2012 and at 38 years of age, the former PAOK, Panathinaikos and Portsmouth shot-stopper was the oldest player in the tournament.
After losing his place due to injury and watching Greece go down to Germany in the quarter-finals from the bench, Chalkias announced his international retirement. Eight years earlier, he was an unused member of the squad which won Euro 2004.
31. Herbert Zimmermann
After limited playing time at Bayern Munich, Herbert Zimmermann spent 10 years at FC Köln between 1974 and 1984.
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A central defender or a striker, Zimmermann scored in two Euro 1980 qualifiers for West Germany and was called up for the tournament itself, but was an unused player in Italy as Die Mannschaft won the trophy.
30. Philippe Bergeroo
Philippe Bergeroo had long spells at Bordeaux, Lille and Toulouse in the 1970s and 1980s and was a back-up goalkeeper for France at two major tournaments.
Bergeroo was part of the France squad which won the Euros in 1984 and was also included as Les Bleus finished third at the 1986 World Cup, but did not feature on either occasion.
29. Anthony Lopes
Born in Lyon to Portuguese parents, Anthony Lopes came through the youth system at Olympique Lyonnais and went on to play international football for Portugal.
Lopes made his Portugal debut in 2015 and was included in the squad for Euro 2016 by coach Fernando Santos, but he was one of two unused players in France.
28. Giannis Goumas
Giannis Goumas spent his entire club career at Panathinaikos and won over 40 caps for Greece between 1997 and 2008.
The centre-back was part of the Greece squad which won Euro 2004, but didn’t play a single minute in Portugal. He was also included in the roster for Euro 2008, but was an unused player once again.
27. Jens Todt
A defensive midfielder who played for Freiburg, Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart in the 1990s and early 2000s, Jens Todt also won several caps for Germany.
Todt was included in the Germany squad at Euro 96, but did not feature for Berti Vogts’ side on their run to the continental crown in England.
26. Sjaak Troost
Sjaak Troost spent his entire career with Feyenoord between 1978 and 1992 and the defender won four caps for the Netherlands in 1987 and 1988.
Part of the Dutch squad which won Euro 88, Troost did not play a single minute as Rinus Michels’ men claimed the trophy. He won one Eredivisie title and four Dutch Cups with Feyenoord.
25. Pepe Reina
Pepe Reina was part of the Spain squads which won back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012, as well as the World Cup in 2010.
The former Liverpool, Napoli and Lazio goalkeeper featured in a group game against Greece at Euro 2008, but was a non-playing squad member in both 2010 and 2012.
24. Georgios Georgiadis
A right winger who played for Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and PAOK, Georgios Georgiadis represented Greece for over a decade between 1953 and 1964.
Georgiadis, who also had a spell at Newcastle United in 1998/99, was part of Greece’s squad at Euro 2004 but did not play a game. He made his final international appearance later that year.
23. Eike Immel
Eike Immel represented West Germany in five major tournaments and surprisingly announced his international retirement after Euro 88, missing out on the team’s World Cup win in 1990.
Later, he admitted his decision to retire was hasty, but he was part of the West Germany squad which won the European Championships in 1980 – albeit without playing a match.
22. Albert Rust
Albert Rust won Olympic gold with France at Los Angeles 1984 and the former Sochaux goalkeeper was part of the squad which triumphed at Euro 1984, although he didn’t play.
Rust also represented France at the 1986 World Cup and his only cap came in the third-place play-off against Belgium, when he helped Les Bleus to a 4-2 win.
21. Morten Bruun
Morten Bruun spent his entire career at Silkeborg IF and won 11 caps for the Danish national team between 1990 and 1992.
An unused member of Denmark’s Euro 92-winning squad, the former defender had his medal stolen by burglars while commentating on Danish television for a Denmark friendly against Iceland in 2016.
20. Víctor Valdés
Víctor Valdés’ international career was short but productive, with the former Barcelona goalkeeper picking up 20 caps between 2010 and 2014.
More significantly, he also collected two major honours with La Roja. Valdés was back-up to Spain skipper Iker Casillas and did not feature on the pitch for Spain at the 2010 World Cup or in Euro 2012.
19. Joop Hiele
Joop Hiele’s international career spanned 11 years, but the former Feyenoord goalkeeper won just seven caps for the Netherlands in that time.
Hiele was back-up to Hans van Breukelen at Euro 88 and did not see any playing time in the Dutch side’s first major trophy success. He also won an Eredivisie title and two Dutch Cups with Feyenoord.
18. Pantelis Kafes
Pantelis Kakes was one of the best Greek midfielders of his generation and the former PAOK, Olympiacos and AEK Athens player represented his nation between 2001 and 2011.
Kafes was part of Greece’s squad in their surprise Euro 2004 triumph, but the midfielder was one of six players unused by coach Otto Rehhagel in Portugal.
17. Juanfran
Juanfran started his career as a winger but became one of the best right-backs in Spain and the former Atletico Madrid defender was rewarded with 22 caps for La Roja.
After making his full international debut ahead of Euro 2012 in a friendly against Serbia in May, Juanfran was part of the Spain squad which retained the trophy, but did not make a single appearance in Poland and Ukraine. He played in all four of Spain’s games at Euro 2016.
16. René Schneider
René Schneider picked up a Champions League winners’ medal with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, but the defender made just one appearance in the competition that season and was left out of the squad for the final.
Schneider won just one cap for Germany and although he was included in the squad for Euro 96, the centre-back did not get on the pitch in the tournament in England.
15. Mogens Krogh
A trusty understudy to Peter Schmeichel, Mogens Krogh was included in the Denmark squads for two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.
Krogh did not make an appearance in any of those and watched from the bench as his team-mates won Euro 92. He did impress with two penalty saves against Mexico in the King Fahd Cup in 1995 after coming off the bench and played in the final as Denmark beat Argentina. That tournament was later rebranded as the Confederations Cup.
14. Hendrie Krüzen
Hendrie Krüzen made his debut for the Netherlands in 1987 and was picked by coach Rinus Michels to be part of the squad for Euro 88.
The midfielder did not play a single minute as the Dutch triumphed in West Germany and a move to PSV later that summer did not work out. He won just five caps in total.
13. Ulrich Ramé
Ulrich Ramé was the only member of France’s Euro 2000-winning squad who did not get to play in Les Bleus’ triumph in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The former Bordeaux goalkeeper was the third-choice shot-stopper behind Fabien Barthez and Bernard Lama. He won 12 caps for France between 1999 and 2003.
12. Raúl Albiol
Raúl Albiol was the only outfield player who did not get on the pitch for Spain in their 2010 World Cup win and the central defender was unused again at Euro 2012.
The former Valencia and Real Madrid centre-back was in the Spain squad for all three of their tournament victories between 2008 and 2012, though, and did feature in two matches at Euro 2008.
11. Walter Junghans
Walter Junghans played for Bayern Munich, Schalke and Hertha Berlin between 1977 and 1994. With the Bavarian giants, the goalkeeper won two Bundesliga titles and was a runner-up in the 1982 European Cup final.
At international level, Junghans represented West Germany at the 1988 Olympic Games. He was also a winner as part of the squad at Euro 1980, but did not play and never did earn a senior cap for his country.
10. Nikos Dabizas
Nikos Dabizas spent seven seasons in English football – five with Newcastle United and two at Leicester City – and the centre-back won 70 caps for Greece.
Troubled by an injury, Dabizas did not make a single appearance as Greece produced one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history by winning Euro 2004 in Portugal. He retired from international football later in the summer.
9. Fernando Llorente
All of Fernando Llorente’s 24 Spain caps came in a golden era for La Roja between 2008 and 2013 and the striker scored seven goals for his country.
The former Athletic Club forward came off the bench to play an important role as Spain beat Portugal at the 2010 World Cup, but he did not get on for a single minute at Euro 2012. He was not in the squad for Euro 2008.
8. Mario Basler
Mario Basler picked up 30 caps for Germany between 1994 and 1998 and the right-sided midfielder was part of the squad which won Euro 96.
Basler was still a Werder Bremen player at the time and went on to join Bayern Munich later in the summer. He did not play a single minute at Euro 96 and never represented his country in a major tournament again.
7. Eduardo Carvalho
Eduardo Carvalho won 36 caps for Portugal between 2009 and 2016 and was the starter for his national team at the 2010 World Cup.
Back-up in 2016, Eduardo did not play as Portugal won the European Championship, with Rui Patrício the starter in France. The former Braga goalkeeper retired from international football after playing in a 5-0 win over Gibraltar in September 2006.
6. Rainer Bonhof
Rainer Bonhof is the only player to have won two European Championship titles without playing in either tournament.
A youngster in 1972, he was unused in West Germany’s Euro-winning campaign that summer. Two years later, the legendary Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder became his nation’s youngest World Cup winner and set up Gerd Muller for the winning goal in the final. In 1980, he was injured and did not feature as West Germany won the Euros again. He did play in 1976, though, as Die Mannschaft lost in the final to Czechoslovakia on penalties.
5. Johnny Mølby
Johnny Mølby played as a midfielder for the likes of Nantes, Borussia Monchengladbach and Mechelen in the 1990s and won 16 caps for Denmark.
The cousin of former Liverpool favourite Jan Mølby, Johnny was part of the Danish squad which won Euro 88, but he didn’t make an appearance in the tournament in Sweden.
4. Alex Meret
Alex Meret was Italy’s third-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2020 and the Napoli shot-stopper was the only unused player in the Azzurri squad which won the tournament.
While Salvatore Sirigu was a late replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma in the goup game against Wales, Meret did not get on the pitch at all during the tournament, but still picked up a winners’ medal at Wembley as Italy beat England on penalties.
3. Aron Winter
Aron Winter won 84 caps for the Netherlands between 1987 and 2000 and the midfielder played for Ajax, Lazio and Inter in a successful career.
Winter went to four European Championships with the Dutch national team and featured in three, but was an unused player as the Oranje won the trophy in 1988.
2. Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn won 86 caps for Germany between 1995 and 2006 in a legendary career and the Bayern Munich goalkeeper was one of the world’s best at his peak.
Kahn received the Golden Ball for the World Cup’s best player in 2002, but was behind Andreas Köpke earlier in his career and did not make an appearance as Germany triumphed at Euro 96.
1. Andrés Palop
Andrés Palop was Spain’s third-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2008 and part of the squad which won the tournament, ending a 44-year trophy drought for La Roja.
Unusually, the former Sevilla and Valencia goalkeeper won a major honour for his country, but never did win a cap for Spain as he was always used as a back-up option.
