The number-crunchers are probably working overtime in the ongoing European Championship. 16 teams filtered through to the knockout stages after 13 days of rigorous group stage clashes. In the 36 games played so far, a lot has happened beyond Christian Erisksen's on-field collapse, the Netherlands’ return to a big stage after seven years, Italy putting up an impressive show after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and Austria making it to their first ever Euro round of 16. Here’s a look at the records that were shattered in the group stage.
Over to Patrik Schick
Before Euro 2020 began, the record for the longest distance goal was with Germany’s Torsten Frings. The midfielder had scored from a distance of 38.6 metres in Euro 2004. 17 years later, Patrik Schick’s stunner during Czech Republic’s opening game versus Scotland forced a change in the record books. Scoring from a distance of 49.7 meters, it was the longest distance goal registered in European Championship history.
Young guns arrive
When Jude Bellingham came off the bench to replace Harry Kane in England’s opener versus Croatia, he became the youngest footballer to take the field in Euro history. Bellingham, who was 17 years and 349 days at the time, broke the record set by Netherlands’ Jetro Williams in 2012. But the record slipped away from the Borussia Dortmund teenager when Poland’s Kacper Kowloski (17 yrs 246 days) took the field versus Spain on June 19.
Ronaldo overtakes Platini
Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be removed from a list where shattered records are discussed. It didn’t take the Portugal captain much time to go past Michel Platini’s Euro goals tally. In the opening game versus Hungary, which the defending champions won, CR7 scored two goals to go past the French legend’s tally of 9. Ronaldo’s scoring spree hasn't stopped since then, with the Juventus main now raring to go past Ali Daei’s record of 109 international goals in men’s football.
Own goals
Own goals are multiplying at an unbelievable rate. The ongoing edition has registered eight of them so far, the latest additions being Martin Dúbravka and Juraj Kucka's blunders during Spain's 5-0 rout of Slovakia. Three own goals were registered in Euro 2016, and that record has now been rewritten. Now with fifteen more games left in this edition, we won’t be surprised to see more of them.
