Spain end their own curse to extend home nation rot at Euros

Spain ended a 90-year curse when they edged Germany 2-1 in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, a result that extended another rot.

Success in Stuttgart on Friday was Spain's first ever victory against a home nation at the Euros or a World Cup on their 10th attempt.

At the World Cup they lost matches 1934 against Italy, 1950 against Brazil, 2002 against South Korea and 2018 against Russia. Their Euro defeats were 1980 against Italy, 1984 against France, 1988 against West Germany, 1996 against England and 2004 against Portugal.

The defeat against France came in the 1984 final which also marks the only time the home team has lifted the European trophy since the event became a full tournament in 1980.

Portugal came close in 2004 when they lost the final against Greece, and France then lost the 2016 final against Portugal.

In the other years Italy went out in the 1980 group stage; Germany 1988, Sweden 1992 and England 1996 in the semis; in 2000 Belgium in the group stage and the Netherlands in the semis; in 2008 Austria and Switzerland in the group stage, just as Poland and Ukraine in 2012.

Euro 2020 was a pan-European event, with England losing the final at their Wembley home against Italy.

Germany meanwhile suffered a third late defeat as a home nation after winning their first home tournament, the 1974 World Cup.

In the 1988 semis they fell 2-1 against the Dutch from an 89th-minute goal by Marco van Basten; at the 2006 World Cup Fabio Grosso's 119th minute goal sent Italy on course to a 2-0 semi-final victory; and it was the 119th minute again on Friday when Mikel Merino headed Spain into the semis.