But think of the strolling Gunther Netzer in 1972, mercurial Frenchman Michel Platini in 1984, a dreadlocked Ruud Gullit in 1988 and Jurgen Klinsmann in 1996 and the European Championships have had their fair share of heroes.

It might send a shiver down the spine of English fans but on the eve of Euro 2004 one man stands above all others as favourite to stamp his extraordinary skills on the tournament – Thierry Henry.

The Frenchman has dominated English football for the past two years, winning successive Footballer of the Year awards. Now, in his prime at 26, he has the stage to dethrone team-mate Zinedine Zidane and announce himself to a global audience as the best footballer on the planet.

He has never appeared more relaxed than when training at France’s Santo Tirso base here. He has never had a bigger incentive than to erase the memory of being sent off against Uruguay amid France’s wretched performance at the World Cup in Japan in 2002 when they were beaten by Senegal in the opening match and failed to score in their three group games.

That setback might have caused the implosion of many teams. Not France. Instead they have remained faithful to the core of their squad and progressed under Tottenham-bound manager Jacques Santini.

Undeniably they are the team with the most brilliant individuals at these Championships and it is inconceivable that a team whose players ply their trade throughout Europe’s top leagues would repeat their World Cup aberration.

That could be bad news for England who face France at the Estadio de Luz in Lisbon on Sunday in their first encounter in Group B – but the good news for Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men is it means they could not face France again until at least the final.

If David Beckham can put aside his distractions and bring his best form to a major competition along with Steven Gerrard, goal-scorer-in-chief Michael Owen and arch-creator Paul Scholes then English football fans might for once be forgiven for raising expectation levels.

Yet there are some seriously talented teams in Portugal.

Such as Holland whose team is younger than that of France but just as experienced. Their players are also dotted around the big leagues of Europe and in Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy they possess a prolific goal-scorer to match the talents of Henry.

If the Dutch can negotiate a major finals without the acrimony and uncertainty which have accompanied so many of their challenges then they could be contenders.

Their problem is that in Group D they face the toughest of opposition in the Czech Republic and Germany, the latter on Tuesday in the Dragao stadium here.

The Czechs were one of the first teams to qualify for the finals, unbeaten on the way and there is a pleasing blend of steel and technique in their team which could upset the form book.

But who would back against Germany? Not Henry, who this week pointed to their 5-1 home defeat by England in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers after which they proceeded to travel all the way to the final against Brazil with a team generally acknowledged to be the worst German team in living memory.

“Never ever worry about Germany,” was Henry’s advice and he meant it as a compliment.

Rudi Voller’s current side are organised and pragmatic and in Bayern’s Michael Ballack they possess one of Europe’s most creative midfielders but there is no Klinsmann or Rummenigge or Gerd Muller in his squad.

It is a journeyman team by German standards with an ageing goalkeeper in Oliver Khan who many believe to be past his sell-by-date.

Then there are Italy and Spain, both of whom if they click have the talent to lift the trophy, though they probably will not.

Invariably the Italians are a big occasion team and there is no doubt Italian football is again on the rise after a dip following the huge financial problems experienced by Serie A. But their instincts are still for caution and in modern-day football it is usually the brave who inherit the greatest prizes.

As for Spain they remain the great underachievers of world football. Arguably La Liga is the most technically proficient league in football, but you would not bet your house on Spain coach Inaki Saez, even with Real Madrid’s Raul and such as Valencia’s flying winger Vicente Rodriguez, getting out of a Group A which also includes Russia, Greece and hosts Portugal.

For Portugal, for whom the flags are fluttering and horns honking in central Porto, the whole tenor of their tournament surrounds tomorrow’s opening match against Greece at the Dragao stadium here.

With Luis Figo expected to ride an emotional wave at his last big international tournament and Rui Costa in their side Portugal’s talent is undeniable and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has united the cause by turning down Benfica and pledging allegiance to the national side but their temperament remains suspect, especially if they were to falter against the Greeks.

Former Portuguese legend Eusebio knows the side’s talents and flaws better than most.

“The match with Greece is just like a final,” he says. “Win that and we will have the key to open our path through the competition. Then it is up to God.

“If the players deliver everything they have inside and apply their will to win, Portugal will be a very tough side to beat.”

The most important thing in any side, however, is not the coaching. It is not even the mental toughness or desire. It is the quality of the players.

Which is why, when it comes down to the final at the Estadio de Luz at 7.45pm British time on Sunday, July 4, the chances are that the striking deep blue shirts of France once more will be the ones to beat.

Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele, David Trezeguet, etc, etc - the catalogue of talent is apparently endless.

Above all, history beckons for Thierry Henry.