After a month of breathtaking football, Portugal have buried the ghosts of their Euro final defeat against Greece 12 years ago by lifting their first major trophy. It was an emotional occasion for the Portuguese team as they battled the hosts and tournament favourites, France, without their captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo as he had to be withdrawn due to an injury.
The tournament was memorable due the several factors but most notably due to the emphatic performances of some of the underdogs like Wales and Iceland. It was also the final international tournament for many players. In the end, Euro 2016 didn’t disappoint as it has given us plenty of memories to cherish for years to come. So here are the ten best moments of the tournament in pictures.
#1. Dimitri Payet’s sends Paris into delirium
Hosts France played Romania in the first game of Euro 2016. Romania came into the tournament by boasting the best defensive record in qualifying phase by conceding just two goals. Dimitri Payet didn’t know that for sure as he set up the hosts first of the night and then scored the winning goal in the 89th minute of the game with a belter. This set the tone of the tournament and raised the roof of Stad de France.
#2. Xhaka vs Xhaka
We have seen many brothers play together but for the first time in the history of the European championship, two brothers played for opposite teams. Arsenal’s new signing, Granit Xhaka, opted to play for his adopted nation, Switzerland, while his older brother Taulant opted to play for Albania which is the country of their ancestors. Granit was one the winning side on that day as Switzerland beat Albania courtesy of an early goal from Fabian Schar.
#3. Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos put their differences aside for Spain
It’s no secret that Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos are not the best of friends. Ramos who plays for Real Madrid and Pique who plays for Barcelona have often tried their best to get on each other’s nerves on social media and on the pitch while representing their respective clubs. However, when they donned the jersey of Spain, the story was different. Pique scored the winner for Spain in their opening group stage game against the Czech Republic and it was Sergio Ramos who went running to celebrate with Pique before anyone else.
#4. A legend bows out
Sweden were grouped with Italy Belgium and Republic of Ireland in Group E and the Scandinavian side had a tournament to forget. They picked up just one point in their three games and managed to score just once and that was via an own goal. Their hero and legend, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, announced that he would be retiring at the end of Sweden’s Euro 2016 campaign and following their defeat to Belgium in the final group stage game, Zlatan walked off the pitch as one of the greatest of all time.
#5. Shaq-attack!
Xherdan Shaqiri knows how to make headlines. Back in 2014 during the FIFA World Cup, he scored a hat-trick with all goals coming from his left-foot and now during Euro 2016, he has scored what is arguably the goal of the tournament. The Swiss were trailing against Poland in the first knockout stage game and Shaqiri changed the game in an instant with an incredible bicycle kick from the edge of the box.
#6. Robson-Kanu becomes Nwankwo Kanu
Let’s face it. Hal Robson-Kanu is no world beater and there is a reason why he is without a club at the moment. The 27-year-old was an important member of the Welsh side that defied all odds to reach the semi-final but was not a sure starter. During the quarter-final game against Belgium, Kanu received the ball inside the penalty box and he got the better of Belgium’s world class defence inside the box by making a quick turn and then firing the ball past a hapless Courtois in goal.
#7. The Vikings steal the show
The performance of Iceland was the story of Euro 2016. The large volcanic island with a population of nearly 300,000 exceeded expectations and made their way into the knockout stage. Their first opponent in the knockout stage was England. Despite going behind against the English, they fought valiantly to secure a historic 2-1 win. Their performance and grit won several admirers but it will be their unique Viking chant celebration that people will remember forever.
#8. Zaza sends the ball into the orbit
Italy vs Germany in the quarter-final stage was one of the biggest games of the tournament. The game went to extra-time and a penalty shootout looked inevitable. Antonio Conte took off one of his central defenders to bring Simone Zaza on in the dying seconds of the game to take one of the shots in the shootout. As Zaza was brought on just to take a shot, everyone expected him to score. However, the Italian took a funny run up and then shot the ball well over the bar. In the end, Italy ended up on the losing side.
#9. It’s Superman!
Cristiano Ronaldo is a living example of physical perfection. The Portuguese captain is one of the most hardworking players you will ever see and his muscular figure helps him take gigantic leaps. We have seen Ronaldo score incredible goals using his head before for his clubs and when Portugal needed him to step up in the semi-final against Wales, he scored a bullet header after doing extremely well to get past his marker. He also assisted the second goal of the game which ensured his team’s safe passage into the final. ‘
#10. Who says men don’t cry?
Cristiano Ronaldo was part of the Portuguese team that lost the final of Euro 2004 in Portugal. So when Portugal made the final of Euro 2016, Ronaldo would have hoped to make amends, however, an injury forced him off the pitch in the 25th minute and the 31-year-old was clearly distraught by that. He watched on from the sidelines and cheered his team forward and when Eder scored the winning goal he couldn’t hide his emotions. Ronaldo could hardly walk but his face showed how much this Euro meant to him.
