At long last Portugal has their hands on a major trophy in football. 2016 European Championships gave Europe their latest champion. Portugal.
History and home advantage had made France the favorites before kick-off. But this tournament has been about breaking records.
Ronaldo had tied Michel Platini’s 8 goals in the European Championship. The final was another chance for him to take the record as all time top goal scorer. Unfortunately, that was made impossible when he had to be substituted off the pitch in the 25th minute. A clash with Dimitri Payet left him uncomfortable for about 5 minutes before he was eventually replaced by Ricardo Quaresma.
That was the end of Ronaldo’s tournament. Something no true fan of the sport would have wanted to see.
France started the match strong. They were searching for the early goal to calm their nerves, and that of their supporters who as expected had outnumbered the Portuguese supporters.
24 teams, 51 games, 108 goals.
One new champion! #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/OZ4pQMGvUC
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) July 10, 2016
Heroics from the Portuguese goalkeeper, Rui Patrício kept the team alive on various occasions. On the balance of play, and statistics, Portugal shouldn’t have ended up the winner. But in football, teams that take advantage of chances while limiting/control their mistakes are the teams that have the higher probability of ending up as winners. Portugal did just that.
Portugal’s name is on the Henri Delaunay trophy for the first time!#EURO2016 @selecaoportugal #POR pic.twitter.com/KRN9v5EpT8
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) July 10, 2016
Typical Portugal in the 2016 Euro, 90 minutes wasn’t enough to grab a lead. It to the second half of extra time for Portugal to grab the winning goal.
Second half substitute, Eder’s109th minute goal was the only goal of the match. Eder had come into the match to replace the Renato Sanches in the 79th minute.
At 18 years and 328 days,playing in the final made Renato Sanches made him the youngest player to play in the final of the European Championship.
Coming in 3rd in their Group F, many would feel that the team was lucky to have made it to the knockout stage of the tournament. The won none of their group matches, but it is difficult to say they didn’t deserve a win.
In their first match Group F match against Iceland, many were wondering at half-time the number of goals that Iceland was going to concede. It was a major shock that Iceland got a goal against the run of play, and tactically frustrated the Portuguese attack.
Second group match against Austria was the same story. Even with a penalty awarded to the team, the ball just wouldn’t go to the back of the net. Austria was outplayed and was lucky to be walking away from the match with a point.
In their third and final Group F match against Hungary, Portugal was the team that had it all to lose. Hungary was in the position to sit back and rely on a counter attack. The 3 goals scored by Hungary were assisted by deflections. And on three occasions, Portugal came back and equalized.
They might not have won any group match, but they deserved every point they earned and more.
That winning moment! Portugal celebrations at full time in the Paris Fan Zone. #EURO2016 #POR pic.twitter.com/RAex2Eyt2b
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) July 10, 2016
Their luck in the group stages flipped in the knockout stages. They found the better side of the table, and eventually found themselves on the better side of the competition when it was all over.
| MATCH | PLAYER | AGE |
| Portugal v France, 2016 | Renato Sanches | 18 years 328 days |
| Portugal v Greece, 2004 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 19 years 150 days |
| Soviet Union v West Germany, 1972 | Anatoliy Baidachny | 19 years 262 days |
| Italy v Yugoslavia, 1968 | Jovan Aćimović | 19 years 354 days |
This is what Portuguese football had been searching for. Eusebio, Luis Figo, Deco, Rui Costa, and the rest of the great set of Portuguese players that failed to get a silverware to mark their greatness will be proud of this moment as well. They were all part of the fight to get Portugal here.
France lit up #EURO2016, finishing as the tournament’s top scorers.
Well played, Les Bleus. pic.twitter.com/2Z2VVkTLSK
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) July 10, 2016
Despite not find a goal in the final, Antoine Griezmann remained the top scorer in the competition. To be honest, his position on the list was not under any real threat.
Did you know? Ronaldo can also balance the trophy on his head.#EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/WK9mLZkhSL
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) July 10, 2016
Congratulations Portugal.
For club and country, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe have beaten Antoine Griezmann in European Competitions
