UEFA Euro 2000 in the context of UEFA Euro 2000 final

The Croatia national football team (Croatian: Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia in men's international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competition. The team's colours reference two national symbols: the Croatian checkerboard and the country's tricolour. They are colloquially known as the Vatreni (Blazers) and the Kockasti (Checkered Ones).

Since 2000, the Vatreni have qualified for every major tournament except UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, Croatia has finished second once (2018) and third on two occasions (1998, 2022), securing three World Cup medals. Davor Šuker won the Golden Shoe and the Silver Ball in 1998, while Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball in 2018 and the Bronze Ball in 2022. The team has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship twice (1996, 2008). They finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023.

The Italy national football team (Italian: Nazionale di calcio dell'Italia) has represented Italy in men's international football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy, which is a co-founder and member of UEFA. Italy's home matches are played at various stadiums throughout Italy, and its primary training ground and technical headquarters, Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, is located in Florence.

Italy is one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, having won four World Cup titles (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), reaching two more finals (1970, 1994), and finishing third place in 1990 and fourth in 1978. Italy also won two European Championships (1968, 2020), and appeared in two other finals of the tournament (2000, 2012). Italy's team also finished as runners-up in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions in 2022, and in third place at both the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and at the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and 2023.

The Portugal national football team (Portuguese: Seleção Portuguesa de Futebol) has represented Portugal in men's international football competition since 1921. The national team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home stadium is the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, located next to its primary training ground and the FPF headquarters (Cidade do Futebol), but the team generally plays its home matches in stadiums across the country. The head coach is Roberto Martínez, and the captain is Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the team records for most caps and most goals.

Portugal's first participation in a major tournament finals was at the 1966 World Cup, which saw a team featuring Ballon d'Or winner Eusébio finish in third place. Portugal also made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 1984, losing to the hosts and eventual winners France. After missing out the 1998 World Cup, Portugal qualified for the Euro 2000 and started an uninterrupted streak of qualification for every European Championship and World Cup finals. In this run, Portugal finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup and runners-up at the Euro 2004, which they entered as hosts, and reached the semi-finals of the Euro 2000 and Euro 2012. This was in great part due to the production of several world class players, such as Ballon d'Or winners Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.In 2016, Portugal won its first-ever major trophy by defeating hosts France in the Euro 2016 final. With this win, the team qualified for and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Russia, where they finished in third place. Portugal then qualified for and hosted the first finals of the UEFA Nations League in 2019, where it defeated the Netherlands to earn their second major title. Six years later, Portugal won its second Nations League and third overall title after defeating the incumbent Nations League and Euro 2024 title holders Spain in the 2025 final in Munich.

Football (Italian: calcio [ˈkaltʃo] ) is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italy national football team have won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), trailing only Brazil (with five), runners-up in two finals both against Brazil, (1970, 1994) and reaching a third place (1990) and a fourth place (1978). They have also won two European Championships (1968 and 2020), also appeared in two finals (2000, 2012), finished third at the Confederations Cup (2013) and the Nations League (2021 and 2023), won one Olympic football tournament (1936) and two Central European International Cups (1927–30 and 1933–35).

Italy's top domestic league, the Serie A, is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world because it is often depicted as the most tactical national football league, and is among the top five European football leagues. Italy's club sides have won 48 major European trophies, making them the second most successful nation in European football. Serie A hosts three of the world's most famous clubs as Juventus, Milan, and Inter, all founding members of the G-14, a group which represented the largest and most prestigious European football clubs; Serie A was the only league to produce three founding members.

The Johan Cruyff Arena (Dutch: Johan Cruijff Arena [ˈjoːɦɑŋ ˈkrœyf aːˌreːnaː]; officially stylised as Johan Cruijff ArenA) is the home stadium of football club Ajax since its opening and the main stadium of the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam. Built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost equivalent to €140 million, it is the largest stadium in the country. The stadium opened as the Amsterdam Arena (stylised as Amsterdam ArenA) and it was officially renamed for the 2018–19 football season, in honour of Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff who died in 2016.

It hosted the 1998 UEFA Champions League final and was one of the stadiums used during UEFA Euro 2000, including the semi-final. The stadium also hosted three group stage matches and one match in the round of 16 of the UEFA Euro 2020. Furthermore the 2013 UEFA Europa League final was staged in the stadium as well.

Stadion Feijenoord (pronounced [ˌstaːdijɔɱ ˈfɛiənoːrt]), more commonly known by its nickname De Kuip (pronounced [də ˈkœyp], the Tub), is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was completed in 1937. The name is derived from the Feijenoord district in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same name (although the club's name was internationalised to Feyenoord in 1973). The stadium has also hosted the Dutch national football team. Beginning in the late 1970s, it also became a concert venue, including for international touring musical acts, though the local government stopped allowing concerts after mid-2025.

The stadium's original capacity was 64,000. In 1949, it was expanded to 69,000, and in 1994 it was converted to a 51,117-seat all-seater. In 1999, a significant amount of restoration and interior work took place at the stadium before its use as a venue in the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament, although capacity was largely unaffected.

Didier Claude Deschamps (French: [didje klod deʃɑ̃]; born 15 October 1968), popularly known as Dédé ([dede]), is a French professional football manager and former player who has been managing the France national team since 2012. He played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, England and Spain, namely Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea and Valencia, as well as Nantes and Bordeaux. Nicknamed "the water-carrier" (French: le porteur d'eau), Deschamps was an intelligent and hard-working defensive midfielder who excelled at winning back possession and subsequently starting attacking plays, and also stood out for his leadership throughout his career. As a French international, he was capped on 103 occasions and took part at three UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup, captaining his nation to victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

In addition to winning two Division 1 titles in 1990 and 1992, Deschamps was part of the Marseille squad that became the first French club to win the UEFA Champions League, a feat which the team achieved in 1993; with the Champions League victory, Deschamps became the youngest captain ever to lead his team to win the title. With Juventus he played three Champions League finals in a row from 1996 to 1998, winning the title in 1996. With the Turin side, he also won the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, as well as three Serie A titles, among other trophies. With Chelsea, he won the 1999–2000 FA Cup, and also reached another Champions League final with Valencia in 2001, before retiring later that season. After Franz Beckenbauer and followed by Iker Casillas, he was only the second captain in the history of football to have lifted the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy, and the European Championship trophy.