UEFA European Championship

If the FIFA World Cup has a symbolic home, it would have to be Europe. The game planted serious roots there, and those roots have grown a truly global fruit.

So in the off years between world cups, it’s understandable that the continent would need a little football to tide them over – enter the UEFA European Championship – Europe’s answer to the off years.

The idea goes way back, as it was first proposed by the French Football Federation’s Henri Delauney. Delauney envisioned a pan-European tournament to pit neighboring counties against each other in a tournament that could decide the best football program on the continent.

As close neighbors often do, the tournament has seen its share of controversy over the years. With the political unrest and the close quarters that are daily like in Europe, EUFA matches can be very passionate affairs.

In honor of the grand idea for the tournament, teams vie to this day for the Delauney trophy. Bringing the trophy back to the home turf means bragging rights throughout the continent.