'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the largest qualifying campaign in European Championships history, a record 55 UEFA nations entered the fray to qualify for Euro 2020.
Divided into five groups of five teams or five groups of six teams each, every group-winner and runner-up is guaranteed a place in the quadrennial tournament next summer. A further four places at Euro 2020 would be taken by the selected teams from the inaugural UEFA Nations League, who would contest the play-offs in March next year.
Following the 10th and final day of qualifying action, 20 teams, including defending champions Portugal, booked their places at Euro 2020. Let us find out the 10 key talking points from the 2020 Euro qualifiers.
# 1: Finland becomes the 34th different nation to qualify for the Euros
A 3-0 home win over Liechtenstein on matchday nine confirmed Finland's debut appearance at the Euros next summer.
It would also be the Nordic nation's first appearance at any major tournament after confirming their runner-up finish behind group-winners Italy with a game to spare.
Needing a win over their matchday nine visitors, without worrying about results elsewhere in the group, Jasse Tuominen opened the scoring for the hosts midway through the first half. Liechtenstein threatened an equaliser with sporadic bursts forward, but striker Teemu Pukki calmed frayed nerves with a 64th-minute penalty before another goal in the 75th minute stamped Finland's victory and confirmed their appearance at Euro 2020.
# 2: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the all-time top scorer in Euro qualifying history
The all-time record goal scorer for Portugal became the most prolific scorer in Euro qualifying history when he scored his 3rd goal in a 4-goal haul in a 5-1 away win in Liechtenstein on matchday 6 which drew a standing ovation from the home faithful.
In the process, Cristiano Ronaldo moved past erstwhile top-scorer Robbie Keane (23 goals) of Ireland.
Ronaldo has scored in 6 consecutive Euro qualifying games, with his latest goal in a 2-0 away win in Luxembourg taking his international goal tally for Portugal to 99, and confirming the defending champions' appearance at Euro 2020.
#3: Germany make it 13 in a row
Three-time winners Germany beat Belarus 3-0 on matchday-9. With Netherlands playing out a goalless draw at Northern Ireland, Die National Mannschaft booked a record-13th (consecutive) appearance at the Euros.
In a five-team group, Germany suffered their only defeat against Netherlands in an otherwise flawless qualifying campaign as they extended their streak of consecutive appearances in the European Championships to 13, since their debut (as West Germany) in 1972.
The next most number of appearances at the Euros belongs to Russia (erstwhile Soviet Union) who would be making their 12th appearance next summer.
#4: Super Kane becomes the first player to score in every match of a Euro qualifying campaign
Harry Kane became the first player in Euro qualifying history to score a goal in each game of a qualifying campaign when he scored his 12th goal of the 2020 Euro qualifiers in a 4-0 away win for England at Kosovo.
Kane's hat-trick in the 7-0 home win over Montenegro on matchday 9 sealed England's 10th appearance at the Euros.
#5: Fabulous 6 have appeared in each Euros since 1996
Since the European Championships became a 16-team affair in 1996, only six teams have played in every edition of the quadrennial tournament and they will also feature at Euro 2020.
Portugal extended the Fab 6's consecutive Euro appearance streak to seven after the reigning European champions won 2-0 at Luxembourg to seal their qualification for Euro 2020.
The other five nations to have done so during this span are Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic.
#6: Three players registered two hat-tricks apiece during the Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Eran Zahavi of Israel became the first player to register multiple hat-tricks during the Euro 2020 qualifiers when the forward netted successive hat-tricks in a 4-2 home win over Austria and a 3-0 win away in Latvia.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the second player to do so after the Portugal captain followed up his 4-goal hat-trick in a 5-1 away win in Lithuania with a hat-trick in a 6-0 home win against the same opposition.
Harry Kane of England followed suit with hat-tricks against Bulgaria and Montenegro in 4-0 and 7-0 home wins respectively.
#7: Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo become the only players to score 3 Euro qualifying hat-tricks
Robert Lewandowski became the first player in Euro qualifying history to score three hat-tricks when the Polish marksman scored all three goals in a 3-0 away win in Latvia.
During the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Lewandowski scored 4 goals in a 7-1 away win in Gibraltar and 3 goals in a 4-0 home win over Georgia.
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Lewandowski as the only other player to do so after the Juventus striker scored hat-tricks against Lithuania away and home during the Euro 2020 qualifiers, to go with his hat-trick against Armenia in a 3-2 away win during the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
# 8: All but one of the 10 different Euro winners would be at Euro 2020
During 15 editions of the European Championships, starting with the inaugural edition in 1960, a total of 10 different nations have won the quadrennial continental tournament.
Germany (3), Spain (3), and France (2) are the sole multiple winners of the European Championships. 7 other nations - Russia (as Soviet Union), Italy, Czech Republic (as Czechoslovakia), Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, and Portugal have won the title once apiece.
All former winners of the European Championships, sans one, would be gracing the field at Euro 2020. 2004 winners Greece failed to qualify after finishing behind group winners Italy and runner-up Czech Republic.
#9: Belgium score the most goals at a Euro qualifying campaign for the 1st time
Since the group-stage was introduced in 1968 for the first time in Euro qualifying history, Belgium's 40 goals during the Euro 2020 qualifiers marked the first time the Red Devils topped the goal scoring charts during a Euro qualifying campaign.
It is the most goals scored during a Euro qualifying campaign since Spain scored 42 during the Euro 2000 qualifiers.
#10: Italy and Belgium complete perfect qualifying campaigns
Following the conclusion of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, Italy and Belgium emerged as the only nations not to have dropped a point in any game. Ukraine, Denmark, and Spain were the other undefeated nations during the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Since the group stage for Euro qualifiers was first introduced during the 1968 qualifiers, only France (1992, 2004), Czech Republic (2000), Germany (2012), Spain (2012), and England (2016) have managed to win all games during a qualifying campaign.
Czech Republic, Germany, and England managed to do so in a six-group qualifying campaign (won 10 games apiece) while France (twice) and Spain managed the feat in five-group qualifying campaigns, winning 8/8 games apiece.
On matchday-10, Italy celebrated their biggest win in over 70 years when they thumped Armenia 9-1 at home to produce their first perfect (10/10) Euro qualifying campaign. Belgium thumped Cyprus 6-1 at home, the Red Devils and the Azzuri became the 6th and 7th different teams respectively to produce perfect Euro qualifying campaigns.
At the other end of the spectrum, Gibraltar and San Marino lost all of their qualifying games during the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
