EURO 2016 Team of the Tournament feat. Arsenal and Spurs stars

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Centre-Attacking
Midfield: Dimitri Payet (France)

West Ham’s midfield marksman Dimitri Payet sometimes faded on the left-side of midfield, which is why he is deployed in a free role here, where he often profited for Les Bleus during their run to the final.

Payet scored three times in the tournament, including a stunning last gasp long range thunderbolt winner against Romania on the opening night, and he also laid on a tournament best of 24 goal-scoring opportunities. He simply couldn’t be excluded.

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Centre-Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

The Real Madrid star may have finally edged Lionel Messi in the debate of which of the two is the world’s current best, after helping his country win a major international tournament for the first time – a feat which the great Argentine has not managed.

His animated gestures on the touch-line and his tears upon being carried off and at the full-time whistle will go down in sport’s most memorable moments, and for his contribution in getting his team there, he deserves to enjoy every minute of it.

After his strike against Hungary in Group F, he became the first player to score in four different European Championships (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016). He scored three goals across the tournament and assisted twice, with two crucial strikes against Hungary to edge Portugal through the group stage and a bullet header in the semi-final to see of Wales and send Portugal to the Saint-Denis final. His big night ended on the field after 24 minutes, but his team-mates did not let him down.

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Centre-Forward: Antoine Griezmann (France)

Atlético Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann was the Euro 2016 Golden Boot winner, so it is no surprise that he makes our team of the tournament. His six goals eclipsed the tally of any other player in France, and only Michel Platini; who scored nine goals at Euro 1984, has bettered that record in a single European Championship tournament.

As well as being a potent goal-scorer, Griezmann was the catalyst for all of France’s creativity and bite up front – his link-up play, reading of the game and intelligent off-the-ball movement made him France’s standout player throughout the tournament.

He carried the hopes of his nation on his shoulders more determinedly as the tournament wore on and will be left scratching his head as to just how he has not won a major trophy this year, having finished a Champions League final runner-up with Atlético and now a European Championship runner-up with his country.

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