1992 at a glance

With two 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists heading to Sweden, the UEFA European Championship claims of England and Germany were strong in 1992, while the Netherlands, boasting Dennis Bergkamp and Marco van Basten up front, were confident of retaining their title. As ever, serial finalists and world champions Germany would reach the last two but it would be a side who only came to the finals as a last-minute replacement for disqualified Yugoslavia that would take the continent by surprise.

Teams
Winners: Denmark
Runners-up: Germany
Semi-finals: Netherlands, Sweden
Group stage: France, Scotland, England, USSR

Top scorers: Dennis Berkamp (Netherlands), Tomas Brolin, Henrik Larsen (Sweden), Karlheinz Riedle (Germany) – 3

Did you know?
The Commonwealth of Independent States represented most of the former Soviet republics as the USSR was dissolved at the end of 1991, including current Asian Football Confederation members Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The CIS also competed at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Also in 1992
European Champion Clubs' Cup winners: FC Barcelona (1-0 v Sampdoria UC)

European Footballer of the Year: Marco van Basten (AC Milan)

Eurovision Song Contest winner: Linda Martin (Republic of Ireland) singing Why Me?

European Golden Boot winner*: Ally McCoist (Rangers FC)

Nobel Peace Prize winner: Rigoberta Menchú (based on her work on behalf of indigenous peoples in Guatemala)

Men's Olympic 100m champion: Linford Christie (United Kingdom) running 9.96 seconds

Formula 1 world champion: Nigel Mansell (United Kingdom) driving a Williams

Oscar for Best Picture: Unforgiven

*Unofficial award

Key events
7 February – Ministers from the 12 countries making up the European Community sign the Maastricht treaty to become European Union

4 November – Bill Clinton wins the presidential election in the United States

20 November – A blaze rages through Windsor Castle in England, one of the residences of the British Royal Family