After the match, BBC Sport John May labelled Greece's victory as the most surprising tournament win in European Championship history, ahead of Denmark's at Euro 1992. May cited Greece's record of never having previously won a match at a major event, as well as their pre-tournament odds, which were as long as 150–1 with some bookmakers. In 2020, Gibbs similarly labelled it the greatest upset in the tournament's history, writing "They entered this grand stage as underdogs but calling the final result a shock almost does them an injustice in reality." Gibbs noted that the calibre of Euro 2004's teams was high; several of the teams were experiencing a golden generation, and "future icons" such as Ronaldo and England's Wayne Rooney made their first appearances at a major tournament. Writers in France's Le Parisien wrote that the Greeks were "heroes of modern mythology who entered into legend and broke the hearts of all of Portugal", and Spain's Marca commented on Greece's style of play, saying "all winners deserve to win and although the debate as to whether they played football or anti-football is valid, the only thing that matters here is winning".
