When the whistle blows to start the soccer match between the hosts Portugal and Greece in the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, it will signal the beginning of 23 days of excitement, tension, ecstasy and heartbreak as the 2004 European Championships finally get underway.

The soccer showpiece opens with a ceremony which has so far been kept under wraps. Taking place 15 minutes before the kick-off of the opening game, the event will welcome the players and supporters from the 16 participating nations. Ana Dias, who is responsible for organising the opening and closing ceremonies, gave a clue as to what could be expected, on the UEFA website by saying: "After Portugal discovered the world, it is time for the world to discover Portugal at Euro 2004."

That could indicate a nautical or exploration theme harking back to the golden days of discovery when Portuguese sea farers like Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan led the European world in sea exploration during the fifteenth century. Whatever the main theme, Dias has promised a display of color and music which will climax with the crowd joining the 700 performers in creating an ocean of people.

That will lead the way to the sixteen nations contesting for the right to hold the Henri Delauney Trophy aloft on July 4 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon and become the 2004 European champions. It is a far cry from the four team tournament that heralded the introduction of the championships onto the international stage back in 1960.

Since that first championship in France, the number of participating nations has swelled the tournament to its current size, which was first introduced with the successful shared event in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2000.

An ever changing concept

The European Championship finals have seen many changes in their 44 year history. Not only has the number of teams fighting it out been increased since its inception but its structure has also developed and the tournament has seen the introduction of new innovations in the game.

In 1968 the championships changed from its original knock-out formula, where a team would have just one game against an opponent to see who advanced to the next round, to the qualification groups that are still in place today, where four teams play each other once with the top two teams going through.

The tournament in England in 1996 saw the introduction of the "golden goal" rule, the first time the decider had been used in a major international tournament. Before when two teams were drawn after 90 minutes, they would have the whole extra-time period to win the game. This time if the matches were deadlocked by the end of regulation time, the games would be decided by the first team to score the "golden goal" in that extra half an hour.

A fanfare for every game

There will also be a new feature this year, although not one associated with the playing of the game itself. For the first time in a UEFA European Championship, all of the matches, not just the opening one, will be preceded by a short welcome ceremony in the centre of the pitch, lasting three minutes.

This year's tournament will see some of the greatest names in the history of the finals going head to head for the title of European Champion. The Russians, who won the first ever championship and dominated the subsequent early tournaments of the Sixties, return to the fray while the Germans look to improve on their impressive record by stretching their lead as the team with the most championship wins to four.

A competition of tradition and innovation

France, the current holders and first team to win the championships as World Champions, will be looking to hang onto the trophy that carries the name of the countryman who envisaged and developed the concept of the finals after losing their World Cup title in Japan/Korea two years ago. If they do so, it will be Les Bleus third triumph at the finals after wins in 1984 and 2000.

The inclusion of Latvia this year will also have special significance. Although Euro 2004 will be the Baltic country's third championship, it will be the first undertaken with official European Union membership, secured during the recent accession at the beginning of May. As a fully paid up member of the bloc, Latvia will truly be a European contender, if only in name. Despite spirited performances in the 1996 and 2000 finals, it is unlikely that the Latvians will progress to the latter stages of the competition.

Those teams aside, there will be 13 other nations fielding a host of high-profile stars who will pound the Portuguese turf in their country's cause, bringing the continent's major players together for a festival of football in the Mediterranean sun.

Global stars bring their skills to Europe

Fans in the stadiums and at home will get the chance to see the likes of Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham battle for midfield supremacy when France take on England; watch open-mouthed as Holland's Ruud Van Nistlerooy tests the goalkeeping skills of Germany's Oliver Kahn, and experience the riotous atmosphere between the neighbours when Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo bears down on Spanish defender Carles Puyol. These and many other enthralling contests await the viewing public.

With each passing year, the European Championships increase in size, prestige and profile. In this era of the modern game; where the players are global celebrities, the audience is worldwide and everything from the water bottles to the motorized stretcher buggies carry sponsorship logos, the 2004 European Championships in Portugal look set to be one of the most glamorous in the tournaments history.