Euro 2016 | Portugal are champions of Europe

Starting Lineups:

Didier Deschamps and his players arrived at the Stade de France for the final showdown of the 2016 European Championship after knocking out World Champions Germany. The coach, who captained the France team to their World Cup title win in 1998 at the same stadium, kept faith with the team that downed Germany 2-0 as they looked to join Spain and Germany as the most successful teams in the Euros with three titles.

Portugal lose CR7 early as the game drifts into slumber

Ronaldo first went down in the eighth minute after a strong challenge from Payet. Although he continued to play, the pain was there for all to see. Ronaldo was again on the ground in the 16th minute and asked for treatment again in an attempt to continue in the game. By the 25th minute, it was all over. He was stretchered out of the field as tears flooded his eyes.

Apart from Ronaldo’s injury, the first forty-five was devoid of any memorable moments. France was the better team on the park and had two shots on the target with Griezmann and Sissoko coming close. The top scorer of the tournament tested Rui Patricio in the 10th minute with a header from the edge of the box. The goalkeeper tipped it over and did the same again in the 34th minute to save a straight shot from Sissoko.

In the second half, Portugal continued in the same way as they did in the first and held their defensive shape before hitting their rivals on the counter. With the hosts finding it difficult to find a breakthrough, Deschamps replaced Payet with Kingsley Coman in the 58th minute and the Bayern Munich attacker made an instant impact.

Coman first set up Griezmann in the 66th minute with a lovely cross from the left only to see the forward heading the ball above the goal from six yards. Rui Patricio, who saved two efforts in the first half, again came to Portugal’s help in the 74th minute to keep out a left-footed shot from Giroud after Coman put him through. After failed attempts to score a goal from the box, Sissoko produced a thunderous strike in the 84th minute from 25 yards only to see Patricio again in the way. But, Gignac almost sealed the title in the second minute of added time after he beat Patricio with a scuffed shot from close range, but the shot found the post and was deflected into play before falling to a Portuguese player to end the normal time without a goal.

Eder the unlikely hero

Having played the extra time twice in the tournament, Portugal looked like the team well suited to play the thirty minutes. They threatened through a corner and a free-kick, which hit the post, before breaking the deadlock. An unlikely hero emerged for the Portuguese on the night in the form of second-half substitute Eder, who smashed a right-footed shot from 25 yards to beat Lloris. With the goal in the bag, Portugal kept their defensive shape and saw out the rest of the minutes to lift their first-ever European Championship title.