26/07/2026
Italy led this Euro 2000 final for thirty five minutes. They needed to hold on for four more, deep into stoppage time, and couldn't.
Francesco Totti's backheel started it, releasing Gianluca Pessotto down the right in the 55th minute. His cross eluded Marcel Desailly completely, and Marco Delvecchio was there to volley it home from point blank range, the kind of team goal that looks inevitable once you've seen it. For the next thirty five minutes, Dino Zoff's disciplined, deep sitting Italy did what this generation of Azzurri defenders did better than almost anyone alive, Cannavaro, Nesta and Maldini shutting down a France side stacked with Zidane, Henry and Vieira. Some critics would later call Italy's approach overly conservative, even framing France's eventual win as some kind of triumph of good over evil. Whatever you call it, it had Italy four minutes of stoppage time away from a European title.
Then Zidane found Sylvain Wiltord in the box, and Wiltord slid a low shot under Francesco Toldo with virtually the last kick of normal time. Extra time arrived, and with it, belief shifted entirely to the other end of the pitch. Robert Pires, barely on the pitch himself, danced past two defenders and cut the ball back for substitute David Trezeguet, on for less than half an hour, to smash a first time half volley into the roof of the net. The golden goal ended it instantly. France became the first side ever to hold the World Cup and European Championship at the same time.
Dino Zoff had lifted this exact trophy as Italy's own captain and goalkeeper decades earlier, part of the generation that also gave Italy the 1982 World Cup with him at 40 years old between the posts. As a coach in Rotterdam, he came achingly close to matching that as a manager too, undone in the end by four minutes his defence has spent twenty five years trying to explain.
Il calcio puo essere cosi crudele, ma questa squadra resta indimenticabile.
Italy led this Euro 2000 final for thirty five minutes. They needed to hold on for four more, deep into stoppage time, and couldn't.
Francesco Totti's backheel started it, releasing Gianluca Pessotto down the right in the 55th minute. His cross eluded Marcel Desailly completely, and Marco Delvecchio was there to volley it home from point blank range, the kind of team goal that looks inevitable once you've seen it. For the next thirty five minutes, Dino Zoff's disciplined, deep sitting Italy did what this generation of Azzurri defenders did better than almost anyone alive, Cannavaro, Nesta and Maldini shutting down a France side stacked with Zidane, Henry and Vieira. Some critics would later call Italy's approach overly conservative, even framing France's eventual win as some kind of triumph of good over evil. Whatever you call it, it had Italy four minutes of stoppage time away from a European title.
Then Zidane found Sylvain Wiltord in the box, and Wiltord slid a low shot under Francesco Toldo with virtually the last kick of normal time. Extra time arrived, and with it, belief shifted entirely to the other end of the pitch. Robert Pires, barely on the pitch himself, danced past two defenders and cut the ball back for substitute David Trezeguet, on for less than half an hour, to smash a first time half volley into the roof of the net. The golden goal ended it instantly. France became the first side ever to hold the World Cup and European Championship at the same time.
Dino Zoff had lifted this exact trophy as Italy's own captain and goalkeeper decades earlier, part of the generation that also gave Italy the 1982 World Cup with him at 40 years old between the posts. As a coach in Rotterdam, he came achingly close to matching that as a manager too, undone in the end by four minutes his defence has spent twenty five years trying to explain.
Il calcio puo essere cosi crudele, ma questa squadra resta indimenticabile.
