RAS Pre 2021, held on 27 October 2021. Question text as printed in RPSC's booklet; answer as per RPSC's final answer key.

Italy won the UEFA Euro-2020 by defeating which country in final?

Q: What is the answer to RAS Pre 2021 Q134?

(4). Correct — option (4), England. The UEFA EURO 2020 final was played between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 2021. UEFA's match report records the goals: Luke Shaw scored for England in the 2nd minute and Leonardo Bonucci equalised for Italy in the 67th. The score stayed 1–1 through extra time. Italy won the penalty shoot-out 3–2. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, and UEFA named him Player of the Tournament the same day. UEFA's report calls it Italy's second EURO title. Wikipedia's article on the final notes that their first European Championship came in 1968. The idea to remember: EURO 2020, played in 2021: Italy beat England on penalties in the final at Wembley.

(1)Denmark
(2)Portugal
(3)Germany
(4)England

Answer

(4)

Why

Correct — option (4), England.

The UEFA EURO 2020 final was played between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 2021.

UEFA's match report records the goals: Luke Shaw scored for England in the 2nd minute and Leonardo Bonucci equalised for Italy in the 67th. The score stayed 1–1 through extra time.

Italy won the penalty shoot-out 3–2. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, and UEFA named him Player of the Tournament the same day.

UEFA's report calls it Italy's second EURO title. Wikipedia's article on the final notes that their first European Championship came in 1968.

The idea to remember: EURO 2020, played in 2021: Italy beat England on penalties in the final at Wembley.

Why the others are wrong

(1)
Denmark — Denmark did not reach the final. It was England's semi-final opponent: England beat Denmark 2–1 after extra time at Wembley to reach the final.
Italy's opponent in the final was therefore England, not Denmark.
(2)
Portugal — Portugal did not play in the EURO 2020 final. Its link to the tournament is an individual award: Cristiano Ronaldo won UEFA's Top Scorer award, with five goals and one assist. Patrik Schick of the Czech Republic also scored five; UEFA ranked Ronaldo ahead on his assist.
Portugal had won the previous edition, EURO 2016, beating hosts France in that final. The EURO 2020 final was Italy against England.
(3)
Germany — Germany went out before the final. England beat Germany 2–0 at Wembley in the round of 16, with goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.
Italy and England were the two finalists, and Italy won on penalties.

Concept

The UEFA European Championship, known as the EURO, is the tournament for the senior men's national teams of UEFA's member associations.

The 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but kept the name EURO 2020. It was held from 11 June to 11 July 2021 in eleven cities in different countries.

Italy reached the final by beating Spain on penalties (1–1, 4–2 on penalties). England beat Denmark 2–1 after extra time.

RPSC's 2021 syllabus lists "Games and Sports related activities." under Current Affairs.

The tournament's name and year differ: EURO 2020 was played in 2021. The same happened with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, also held in 2021 after postponement.

The final was England's first in a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup, and Italy's first European title since 1968.

Key facts

11 July 2021, Wembley Stadium, London: Italy 1–1 England after extra time; Italy won 3–2 on penalties.
Goals: Luke Shaw (England, 2nd minute) and Leonardo Bonucci (Italy, 67th minute).
Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two penalties in the shoot-out and was named EURO 2020 Player of the Tournament.
EURO 2020 was postponed to 2021 because of COVID-19 and held from 11 June to 11 July 2021, keeping its name.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal won the EURO 2020 Top Scorer award (five goals, ranked ahead of Patrik Schick's five on assists); Spain's Pedri was Young Player of the Tournament.

EURO 2020: Italy's and England's last two matches

Semi-final→Italy 1–1 Spain, Italy won 4–2 on penalties

Semi-final→England 2–1 Denmark, after extra time

Final, 11 July 2021, Wembley→Italy 1–1 England after extra time; Italy won 3–2 on penalties

Sources: UEFA match reports and Wikipedia, UEFA Euro 2020 final.

Study next

UEFA European Championship: past winnersCopa América 2021Tokyo 2020 Olympics: postponement to 2021FIFA World Cup 2022 (Qatar)Individual awards at EURO 2020

Common traps

Semi-finalist versus finalist: Denmark lost to England in the semi-final, so it did not play Italy in the final.
Name versus year: EURO 2020 was played in June–July 2021, after postponement.
Top scorer versus winner: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal won the Top Scorer award, but Portugal was not a finalist.

A question can name the winner of a tournament final and ask the team it defeated.

A question can also ask the venue of the final, the Player of the Tournament, or how the final was decided.

Related PYQs

UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2018 here once that paper is published on this site.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Who was named UEFA EURO 2020 Player of the Tournament?
- (a)Gianluigi Donnarumma
- (b)Cristiano Ronaldo
- (c)Pedri
- (d)Harry Kane
Answer(1) — UEFA named Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma Player of the Tournament on 11 July 2021. Option (2) won the Top Scorer award, option (3) was Young Player of the Tournament, and option (4) captained England in the final.
practice — not a real PYQ
The UEFA EURO 2020 final between Italy and England was played at
- (a)Wembley Stadium, London
- (b)Stadio Olimpico, Rome
- (c)Allianz Arena, Munich
- (d)Parc des Princes, Paris
Answer(1) — The final was played at Wembley Stadium on 11 July 2021. Option (2) hosted England's quarter-final against Ukraine and option (3) Italy's quarter-final against Belgium; option (4) was not the venue of the final.