2000 at a glance

Having conquered the world two years earlier France were bidding to become the first country to follow up FIFA World Cup success with a European Championship triumph. Held by Belgium and the Netherlands, the first time the tournament had been co-hosted, France again shone, although they would require a golden goal to win a dramatic final and confirm the stellar status of their golden generation.

Teams
Winners: France
Runners-up: Italy
Semi-finals: Portugal, Netherlands
Quarter-finals: Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Spain
Group stage: England, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark

Top scorers: Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands), Savo Milošević – 5

Did you know?
France, who had to negotiate a group containing only previous winners, remain the only FIFA World Cup holders to win the UEFA European Championship – Spain are bidding to match them in 2012.

Also in 2000
European Champion Clubs' Cup winners: Real Madrid CF (3-0 v Valencia CF)

European Footballer of the Year: Luís Figo (FC Barcelona/Real Madrid CF)

Eurovision Song Contest winners: Olsen Brothers (Denmark) singing Fly on the Wings of Love

ESM Golden Shoe winner: Kevin Phillips (Sunderland AFC)

Nobel Peace Prize: Kim Dae-Jung (for work towards democracy and human rights in Korea Republic and East Asia, and for peace with DPR Korea, South Korea)

Olympic 100m champion: Maurice Greene (United States) running 9.87 seconds

Formula 1 world champion: Michael Schumacher (Germany) driving a Ferrari

Oscar for Best Picture film: Gladiator

Key events
1 January – Y2K passes without serious widespread computer failure, as many experts and businesses had feared

1 June – Mount Etna erupts in Sicily

6 October – The last Mini is produced at the Longbridge car plant in England