The year in review: UEFA EURO 2016 recapped
Monday, December 26, 2016
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UEFA EURO 2016 dominated the UEFA.com landscape for much of the year, but how much do you remember? Allow us to recap the headline news from a memorable summer in France.
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Winners: Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo's touchline exploits, substitute Éder's shot, the hosts' agony – a pulsating evening in Paris on 10 July climaxed with Portugal hoisting aloft the first major trophy in their history.
Team of the Tournament
Rui Patrício; Kimmich, Boateng, Pepe, Raphaël Guerreiro; Kroos, Joe Allen; Griezmann, Ramsey, Payet; Ronaldo.
Who makes your Team of the Year?
Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament: Antoine Griezmann
The France forward may have lost his second major final of the year (remember the first?), but his six goals – second only to Michel Platini's 1984 tally of nine for a single finals – and two assists meant he claimed the adidas Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards.
Goal of the Tournament: Zoltán Gera
With 32% of the vote, Hungary's 37-year-old talisman beat off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo's back-heel and Xherdan Shaqiri's bicycle kick to land the prize thanks to his splendid strike against Portugal.
Top of the Player Barometer: Dimitri Payet
France's Dimitri Payet finished UEFA EURO 2016 where he had started it, on top of our form tracker – the Player Barometer.
Ronaldo's record-breaking EURO
Highest EURO finals scorer: check. Most EURO finals appearances: check. Portugal's most-capped player: check. First player to score in four EURO final tournaments: check. All-time EURO leading scorer: check.
Young Player of the Tournament: Renato Sanches
Aged 18 years and 328 days, Renato Sanches broke Ronaldo's record (set in 2004) for youngest player to feature in a EURO final before capping a sensational breakthrough season with the SOCAR Young Player of the Tournament accolade.
Bayern lead the way
Sanches made it 19 players to have picked up EURO winners' medals while playing for Bayern München – three more than the next best, Real Madrid.
