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Spain secured a unique place in football's long history by becoming the first team to win three successive major tournaments when beating Italy 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012 at Kiev's Olimpiyskiy Stadium.

Extending their incredible record of not conceding a goal in knockout football since the 2006 World Cup - a run that now stands at almost 1000 minutes - Spain added to their triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup with their crowning achievement: a comprehensive victory secured by three wonderfully-constructed goals that were true to the team's trademark style, and a late fourth to ensure the biggest margin of victory ever seen in a final at this tournament.

This was a night when Spain's dominance of international football became more absolute than any team's before them. The much-discussed philosophy of ultra-control, tiki-taka, allowed them to suppress yet another opponent; their intricate and wonderful passing overwhelming an Italian midfield that prior to Sunday night had excelled at Euro 2012, but for the last 30 minutes of this game in Kiev was depleted by an injury to Thiago Motta after all three Italian changes had been made.

Having attracted criticism for rather uninspiring victories over France and Portugal in the knockout stages, this was Spain's riposte: goals from David Silva after 14 minutes and Jordi Alba after 41 minutes were as technically excellent as any seen at the tournament and were vivid vindications of Spain's approach. The closing stages were a procession, Xavi teeing up substitute Fernando Torres with another fine pass for his second assist of the night and Torres then turning provider to square for Chelsea team-mate Juan Mata, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes in his first appearance of the finals.

The pass ensured Torres won the Golden Boot having finished level on goals and assists with Germany's Mario Gomez but having been on the pitch for only 189 minutes in total. The striker's goal in Kiev meant he was the only player to have scored in two separate European Championship finals.

On a night when records fell as regularly as Spain strung together gorgeous passing moves, Iker Casillas became the first player to win 100 international games and Vicente del Bosque became the first coach to win the European Championship, the World Cup and the Champions League. For an Italy side that has been resurgent under the laudable leadership of Cesare Prandelli, though, it was a step too far, a first defeat in competitive internationals against Spain since 1920.

They did lose a penalty shoot-out to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 though - a result that has been pinpointed by Spain's players as the moment when belief in their nascent ability finally crystallised and a long history of international disappointment began to quickly evolve into a legacy of sustained success, so it was a neat coincidence that the Azzurri again provided the opposition as Spain reached previously unscaled heights.

Spain's only change from the semi-final shoot-out win over Portugal was entirely expected, Cesc Fabregas replacing Alvaro Negredo in attack to perform the false nine role that has given such ammunition to Spain's growing number of critics. Designed to help enhance those possession statistics and keep the ball away from Andrea Pirlo, it was ostensibly a cautious strategy from Del Bosque.

Italy made a change of their own, the returning Ignazio Abate slotting in at right-back as Federico Balzaretti was dropped, Giorgio Chiellini being a more defensive option at left-back with Prandelli also unwilling to break up the central partnership of Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci. There was no return to the 3-5-2 formation that Italy deployed in their opening group game when drawing 1-1 with Spain in Gdansk.

However, Chiellini was exposed for the opening goal after 14 minutes as Spain were rewarded for an enterprising start that belied accusations that their brand of football has become unalterably boring. While Italy looked to target the rump of the Spain side with balls over the top to Mario Balotelli, Del Bosque's side once again demonstrated that their strength lies in their torso as Xavi and Andres Iniesta took control through the centre.

Xavi, who conceded prior to the game that he has not been at his peak level during the tournament, looked to have taken personal affront to negative critiques of himself and his side and unusually let fly with a couple of shots from range. The second flew narrowly over following a neat one-two with Fabregas.

It was a fluid start from Spain and they capitalised inside 15 minutes with a goal of utter brilliance. Iniesta took possession of the ball 25 yards from goal and opened up the Italy defence with a perfect through-ball for Fabregas. The false nine hit the byline and pulled a fine cross back for Silva, who timed his run excellently and from eight yards out directed his header inside the far post.

If Spain were determined to prove a point, it had been driven home forcefully. Yet Italy's response to going behind for the first time in the tournament was not to cower, but to try and wrest control back. Daniele De Rossi was instrumental with a forceful 20 minutes and, having seen Chiellini taken off with an injury, replacement Federico Balzaretti also provided real impetus down the left.

De Rossi robbed Xavi of possession on one occasion and pinged a pass out to Antonio Cassano. The forward made a smart turn before rolling in a low shot that Casillas saved, and later took the ball from Pirlo before seeing another effort beaten away by the Spain captain. Remarkably Italy had the better of possession in the first half, but they could not find an equaliser.

Four minutes before half time Spain extended their advantage. Alba played the ball square to Xavi and accelerated through the centre of the pitch with a brilliant run to receive the return pass. His first touch to control was exquisite, his second surgical as he placed his shot past Buffon. It was just reward for a player, destined to join Barcelona, who has been consistently excellent throughout the tournament.

Italy reacted at half time by sacrificing Cassano for Antonio Di Natale and the Udinese striker made an immediate impact. Within a minute he had headed over the bar from an Abate cross and, after Spain had a claim for a penalty turned down when a header from Sergio Ramos struck the arm of Bonucci, he should really have put Italy back into contention.

Riccardo Montolivo played a fine pass through to the striker, who appeared to be straying offside, and his low effort was blocked by a fine save from Casillas. The rebound popped out to Di Natale but his attempted pass was also cut out by the Spain captain.

Montolivo was swiftly removed for Motta though and Prandelli's rather reckless decision to make all three substitutions before the hour mark was punished accordingly when Motta suffered a hamstring injury after 61 minutes and was taken off on a stretcher to leave his side facing the might of Spain with only 10 players.

Ruthless in their pursuit of history, Spain exploited their advantage to the full. Having been summoned from the bench, Torres collected a fine pass from Xavi and slotted the ball past Buffon to make it three after 84 minutes. Within four minutes he had unselfishly squared for Mata who marked two minutes of tournament football with a goal of his own.

There was still time for Ramos to saunter up to the penalty area and try and score a backheel as Spain finished in rampant style, leaving their place in football's history books unassailable. Italy, suffering a first competitive defeat under Prandelli, could not fight against a Spanish tide that has had unstoppable momentum ever since that penalty shoot-out win in 2008.

After Spain's third triumph in as many major tournaments the only remaining question is whether they are the greatest of all time. The manner of their triumph in Kiev would suggest an answer in the affirmative.

England were knocked out of Euro 2012 in all too familiar circumstances, losing 4-2 on penalties against Italy following a goalless draw in Kiev.

Riccardo Montolivo missed Italy's second penalty but then Ashley Young and Ashley Cole failed to score before Alessandro Diamanti stroked home the winning spot-kick.

It was England's sixth exit in penalty shoot-outs at European Championships and World Cups in the last 22 years.

Roy Hodgson's side had rode their luck to stay on level terms after 120 minutes as Italy were far the better side with 35 attempts on goal, to England's nine, but failed to break the deadlock thanks to their own profligacy and some dogged English defending.

However their greater nerve from 12 yards means it will be the Azzurri who will face Germany in Thursday's second semi-final at the same ground and Hodgson's side go home.

There were chances aplenty in an open first-half.

The tone was set as early as the fourth minute when the ball was pulled back from the right to Daniele De Rossi who hit across his effort from 30 yards and was so unlucky to see the ball hit the woodwork with Joe Hart beaten.

England's best chance of the opening period came almost immediately when James Milner's square pass was poked towards goal by Glen Johnson from seven yards but Gianluigi Buffon clawed the effort away.

Johnson then produced a superb cross but Wayne Rooney could not direct his diving header on target from eight yards, under pressure from covering right-back Ignazio Abate.

That was after 15 minutes but from then on it was Italy who dominated with Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings in midfield and Mario Balotelli spurned a hat-trick of first-half chances.

He beat the offside trap but dallied which allowed John Terry to get back to make a crucial block and he failed to get much power on a scissors kick after a defence splitting pass from Montolivo.

But his best chance came five minutes before the break when Pirlo's cross to the back post was headed across goal by Antonio Cassano and somehow the Manchester City forward stabbed over the top from four yards albeit under pressure from club-mate Joleon Lescott.

Danny Welbeck did spurn a chance to test Buffon from 18 yards after a good link-up with Rooney but Italy continued to be in the ascendancy and were totally dominant in the second.

De Rossi missed a sitter four minutes after the break after Hart punched a corner only as far as Montolivo whose header was volleyed wide from seven yards by the unmarked veteran.

England's goal continued to lead a charmed life as a 30-yard blast from De Rossi was parried by Hart straight into the path of Balotelli who was denied from close range by the legs of his Eastlands team-mate before Montolivo volleyed over under pressure from Johnson.

Theo Walcott and Andy Carroll were brought on after an hour as England struggled to maintain possession and they carved out a rare chance as the Arsenal winger's cross intended for the big Liverpool striker fell to Young whose shot was deflected behind for a corner.

Hart made a sharp shot from Italian sub Diamanti before Johnson made a superb block after Marchisio's superb pass found another sub Antonio Nocerino.

England did have a chance to steal it in injury-time but Rooney's bicycle kick was over the top.

They failed to create a single chance in extra-time as they spent most of the 30 minutes camped in their own half as Italy continued to pile on the pressure.

Hart was grateful to see Diamanti's mis-hit cross strike the outside of the post and the former West Ham man was off target from 10 yards after Federico Balzaretti fizzed a ball across the area.

Italy finally found the net after 115 minutes when Nocerino headed home from close range but he was correctly ruled offside.

Although Italy have won a World Cup final in a shoot-out they had also lost five of their other six encounters and would have feared the worst when, after Balotelli and Gerrard had scored the opening efforts, Montolivo dragged his effort well past the left post.

Rooney smashed his penalty into the left corner before Pirlo had the audacity to produce a 'Panenka' chip down the middle to level at 2-2.

The disappointing Young then smashed his effort against the crossbar before Nocerino calmly placed his shot into the left corner.

Cole's effort was then saved, low to his left by Buffon, and it was left to Upton Park reject Diamanti to condemn England to their eighth quarter-final defeat in nine attempts at major tournaments away from Wembley.

It was eight years to the day since England were knocked out by Portugal on penalties in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 and Three Lions fans can add Italy to Argentina, Germany (twice) and Portugal (twice) as nations who have held their nerve to beat their side in shoot-outs.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one of the goals of Euro 2012 to give Sweden a polished 2-0 Group D win over France in Kiev and condemn Laurent Blanc's side to a daunting quarter-final with world and European champions Spain.

With England overcoming Ukraine 1-0 in Donetsk, the French needed to match that scoreline to win Group D but failed miserably as Sweden - despite already being eliminated having lost their first two games - were by far the better side at the Olympic Stadium.

AC Milan forward Ibrahimovic set them on the road to three points when he swivelled to smash a volley low into the corner of the net from just inside the opposition area to earn Sweden the lead from Sebastian Larsson's cross on 54 minutes.

It was a special finish from the towering forward in a commendable team effort by Sweden, an asset that seemed to seep from the French side on such an important evening.

After continuing to trouble a France side that looked worryingly one-paced and were largely restricted to shots from distance, Sweden gleaned a merited second goal in added time.

Substitute Samuel Holmen knocked an effort off the bar, but Larsson had the presence of mind to whack the rebound into the gaping net with the French defence nowhere to be seen.

France were finished for the night, but of course are not finished for the tournament.

They concluded on four points - three points behind Group D winners England - but their reward for this insipid performance is a match against Group C winners Spain in Donetsk on Saturday night with England meeting Italy 24 hours later in Kiev.

Sweden depart the tournament with a first competitive win over France since 1969 - a run stretching back 12 games - while France have a few days to reflect upon losing their 23-match unbeaten record.

Philippe Mexes was harshly booked in the second half for a foul on Ola Toivonen, and will miss the match against Spain. That may be no bad thing.

Adil Rami, the strapping Valencia defender who was at the heart of the French back line alongside Mexes, was not much better as he continually and needlessly surrendered possession during key sections of the evening.

With Yohan Cabaye training separately from the rest of the French squad after collecting an injury sustained in the 2-0 win over Ukraine, Yann M'Vila came into the midfield for his first start of the finals.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren made two changes from the team who lost 3-2 against England knowing his team were already eliminated. Midfielder Emir Bajrami replaced the ill Rasmus Elm with Toivonen starting for the injured Johan Elmander up front.

In a first half of few chances, Toivonen could have handed Sweden a lead on four minutes when he rose to head wide of goal from Martin Olsson's floated cross.

The PSV Eindhoven forward should have hit the net on 12 minutes when he rolled Mexes before eluding France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

He seemed likely to score, but just overran the ball as he slipped a shot against the outside of the post with Lloris grounded.

Sweden could have added a second moments after Ibrahimovic scored with the productive substitute Christian Wilhemlsson and Olof Mellberg forcing to Lloris to make eye-catching saves to prevent France from falling out of the game.

Samir Nasri walloped a shot wide of goal on 63 minutes before limping off injured while M'Vila forced Andreas Isaksson to repel his shot 20 minutes from time, but France's best chance of the second half fell to substitute Olivier Giroud, who somehow headed wide from eight yards out on 84 minutes from Florent Malouda's corner.

The life seemed to have drained from France. That was confirmed when Larsson finished off the match in added time.

For the record, Karim Benzema has now attempted 15 shots without scoring, more than any other player at the tournament.

England need a draw against co-hosts Ukraine in their final Group D match to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals after Danny Welbeck scored a late winner in a 3-2 victory over Sweden at Kiev's Olympic Stadium.

In a match in which neither side's defence impressed, England were forced to recover from trailing in the second half after Olof Mellberg forced Glen Johnson to put past his own keeper and then scored himself to cancel out Andy Carroll's headed opening goal for England on 23 minutes.

Substitute Theo Walcott brought England level when he drove a shot straight down the middle of the goal on 64 minutes from outside of the area that somehow evaded Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson as he dived to his left. It was his first international goal since his hat-trick in a 4-1 win in Croatia almost four years ago.

Welbeck won it for England on 78 minutes with both sides pushing for the three points when he backheeled Walcott's cross into the net with the opposing defenders again caught marking fresh air.

England were marginally the better side on an evening of some mediocrity with Sweden heading home from the finals after their 2-1 loss to Ukraine in the opening match with followed by this defeat. They will not be a great miss to the tournament.

England conclude their Group D campaign against Ukraine in Donetsk on Tuesday with the co-hosts needing three points to deprive England of progress after their 2-0 loss to France earlier in the day.

France and England top the section on four points with the French warm favourites to progress as group winners if they can come up with a win over the already doomed Swedes.

Roy Hodgson's side will need to improve considerably to remain a threat in this tournament, mainly in defence and in their toiling efforts at ball retention, but will be boosted by the return of the suspended Wayne Rooney to face Ukraine.

Welbeck's winning goal gave them a first success over Sweden in competitive matches after two losses and five draws against the Scandinavian country on similar occasions.

Hodgson's decision to bring back Liverpool forward Carroll to replace the Arsenal teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seemed to be vindicated when Carroll rose to power a header into the net from 12 yards out after Steven Gerrard had provided a similar delivery that enabled Joleon Lescott to score with a header in the 1-1 draw against France.

England were leading 1-0 and comfortable with Isaksson diving to swat away a Scott Parker shot and Welbeck heading wide from James Milner's cross before Carroll finally unearthed the opening goal with his first start and first goal at a major finals.

With Sweden appearing impotent from open play, Ashley Young drove a shot into the side of the net as England disappeared up the tunnel looking relatively content.

There was a significant mood swing at the outset of the second half when the unmarked and bearded Mellberg prodded the ball over the line to bring Sweden level with England's defence in a ghastly state.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart palmed the ball into the midriff of Johnson, who failed to scramble the ball clear as it dropped over the line.

Suddenly England were being tested as Johnson was forced to make a fine tackle on Rasmus Elm before Sweden moved 2-1 clear as Mellberg rose unmarked to beat Hart with a header from Sebastian Larsson's free-kick.

It was awful defending with John Terry and Lescott nowhere to be seen.

Johnson's pace was again called upon when he raced back to prevent the moody Zlatan Ibrahimovic from getting a free shot at goal as Sweden pushed for a 3-1 lead.

England looked groggy, but dragged themselves back to 2-2 when Walcott's hopeful drive evaded Isaksson seconds after the goalkeeper superbly pawed away John Terry's header inside the Sweden box.

With one goal likely to settle matters either way, Ibrahimovic forced Hart to plunge to his right to divert a ferocious shot on 77 minutes.

It was left to Welbeck to drive the dagger into the hopes of over 20,000 Sweden fans in the 70,000 crowd when he brilliantly converted from Walcott's cross to seal the win.

England could have added to their total in added time, but Isaksson came up with another eye-catching save to halt Gerrard's volley with Walcott playing provider on the break. But England's work had been done for the night.

A vintage goalscoring display from Andriy Shevchenko gave Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine a 2-1 victory against Sweden at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.

The 35-year-old converted two headers in seven second-half minutes to overturn Zlatan Ibrahimovic's opener for Sweden and send the Ukrainian capital into rapture in the country's first European Championship match.

Shevchenko nearly failed to make Oleg Blokhin's tournament squad, but earned a starting berth and repaid his coach's faith with a finishing masterclass to take his international record to 48 goals from 109 games.

Ukraine go top of Group D after the opening round of matches, following England's draw against France earlier on Monday.

The players emerged to a cauldron of noise, with both sets of fans clad in yellow. Yet the action on the pitch took some time to get going - as did Shevchenko.

The Ukrainian captain had a great chance to open the scoring on 23 minutes, but dragged his shot wide of the far post.

The co-hosts grew in confidence, and the impressive Andriy Voronin tested Andreas Isaksson with a swerving effort from long range, before superb blocks denied Shevchenko and Andriy Yarmolenko.

Ibrahimovic, operating in a deep role behind main striker Markus Rosenberg, spurned a great chance on 39 minutes, when he escaped his marker but sent his free header wide off the far post.

Rosenberg had the first big chance of the second half after Sebastian Larsson dispossessed Serhiy Nazarenko, but Taras Mikhalik threw himself bravely in front of the ball.

On 52 minutes, Ibrahimovic put Sweden in front, ghosting in front of his marker to convert Kim Kallstrom's low cross from close range - Ukraine felt aggrieved as Yevhen Selin lay injured during the build-up, but referee Cuneyt Cakir rightly played on.

Then came the Sheva show. On 55 minutes, he showed his old turn of pace to nip in front of Olof Mellberg and head a superb Yarmolenko cross past Isaksson.

But he had not finished, and doubled his tally by darting to the near post to meet Yevhen Konoplyanka's corner, glancing the ball into the net as 70,000 locals lifted the roof off the stadium.

Sweden had their chances, but could not conjure an equaliser. Ibrahimovic saw a shot parried, before teeing up Johan Elmander with a gorgeous looping flick, only to see the substitute volley high and wide. Mellberg nearly had the final say in the last minute of added time, but lifted his shot onto the top of the net.