1960 European Nations' Cup#Qualifying rounds

{{short description|European association football championship}}

{{EngvarB|date=November 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}

{{Infobox international football competition

| tourney_name = European Nations' Cup

| year = 1960

| other_titles = Coupe d'Europe des nations de football
France 1960
{{nobold|{{in lang|fr}}}}

| image = UEFA Euro 1960 logo.svg

| size = 200px

| caption =

| country = France

| dates = 6–10 July

| num_teams = 4

| venues = 2

| cities = 2

| champion = URS

| count = 1

| second = YUG

| third = TCH

| fourth = FRA

| matches = 4

| goals = 17

| attendance = 78958

| top_scorer = {{fbicon|FRA}} François Heutte
{{fbicon|URS}} Valentin Ivanov
{{fbicon|URS}} Viktor Ponedelnik
{{fbicon|YUG}} Milan Galić
{{fbicon|YUG}} Dražan Jerković
(2 goals each)

| nextseason = 1964

}}

The 1960 European Nations' Cup was the inaugural tournament of the UEFA European Championship, held every four years and organised by UEFA. The first tournament was held in France. It was won by the Soviet Union, who beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris after extra time.

The tournament was a knockout competition, with just 17 teams entering. There were some notable absences, including West Germany, Italy, Netherlands and England, each of whom had voted against the creation of the tournament in 1957.{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Scott |title=The Joy of Six: European Championship qualifiers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/sep/02/joy-of-six-european-championship-qualifiers |website=The Guardian |date=2 September 2011 |access-date=1 December 2023 |quote=At a Uefa congress in 1957, a motion to set up a European championship was finally put to the floor. Predictably, the British associations acted like a petulant child, just as it had done three decades earlier with the World Cup. Fearing such a tournament would interfere with the Home Internationals, it abstained, though this time it was by no means the only offender: seven other countries voted against, including West Germany, Italy and Holland.}} The entrants would play home-and-away matches until the semi-finals; the final four teams would then move on to the final tournament, whose host was selected after the teams became known.

In the quarter-finals, Spain, who were under Francoist rule, refused to travel to the Soviet Union for political reasons. After a proposal to play the tie over one leg at a neutral venue were rejected by the Soviets,{{Cite web |last=Муртазин |first=Салават |date=10 July 2020 |title=Первая и последняя победа сборной СССР на Евро. Как это было |url=https://www.championat.com/football/article-4078277-pobeda-sbornoj-sssr-na-chempionate-evropy-1960-hronologija-foto-video.html |access-date=15 July 2021 |website=Championat.com |language=ru}}{{Cite news |last=Malone |first=Emmet |date=21 April 2016 |title=Euro Moments: General Franco pulls Spain from 1960 tournament |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/euro-moments-general-franco-pulls-spain-from-1960-tournament-1.2614698 |access-date=9 August 2023 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} Spain were disqualified: accordingly, three of the final four teams were from communist countries: the USSR, Czechoslovakia, and SFR Yugoslavia, to go with hosts France.

In the semi-finals, the Soviets made easy work of the Czechoslovaks in Marseille, beating them 3–0. The other match saw a nine-goal thriller as Yugoslavia came on top 5–4 after coming back from a two-goal deficit twice. Czechoslovakia beat the French 2–0 for third place.

In the final, Yugoslavia scored first, but the Soviet Union, led by legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin, equalised in the 49th minute. After 90 minutes the score was 1–1, and Viktor Ponedelnik scored with seven minutes left in extra time to give the Soviets the inaugural European Championship.{{Cite web |last=Rostance |first=Tom |date=21 May 2012 |title=BBC Sport - Euro 1960: Lev Yashin leads Soviets to glory in France |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17680769 |access-date=15 July 2021 |publisher=BBC Sport}}