Germany is lively, young and has a shot at unbeatable Euros history

Jamal Musiala wasn't even born the last time Germany won the European Championship, but he and his colleagues have the chance to create a piece of history that can never be matched.

Musiala, the electrifying Bayern Munich winger, will again lead the host nation's charge when it takes on Hungary in Group A on Wednesday, seeking to build on its 5-1 crushing of Scotland in the tournament opener.

There is a long way to go and plenty of obstacles ahead, but if Germany is able to keep its dream of overall glory alive, it will retain the possibility of doing something no other squad has managed in the history of the Euros — and never will.

Youngsters will need to consult a history book for this, but let's just say the Euros looks nothing like it used to.

Compare this year's event, with 24 teams and 51 matches spread over an entire summer month, with the earliest renditions of the competition. At the beginning, the entire event comprised of just four teams, four games and everything wrapped up within the span of four days.

It has come a long way since then, and it has done so in increments. From four teams between 1960 and 1976, it grew to eight nations for four tournaments from 1980 to 1992, then 16 countries five times in the time span from 1996 to 2012, and now 24 teams since 2016.

And, in every iteration of the event, Germany (or previously West Germany) has prevailed at least once — except the current one.

It was a champion in 1972, thumping the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final as legendary scorer Gerd Mueller snatched the first two goals.

In 1980, it won the first version of the eight-team format — the first to include a group stage — by defeating Belgium 2-1 with an 88th-minute winner from Horst Hrubesch.

Germany, by then