Ranking the 10 best goals scored at Euro 2016
There have been plenty of stunning tallies to choose from over the last month in France. Here are the ten best.
10. Giaccherini converts Bonucci's brilliant pass
The best pass of the tournament deserves some love, dammit. Leonardo Bonucci sliced open Belgium's defense with this awe-inspiring aerial ball that would have made Andrea Pirlo blush. Emanuele Giaccherini's first touch and calm finish deserve plaudits - mainly because they were unexpected given that he's, well, Emanuele Giaccherini - but that inch-perfect pass came straight out of a video game. Hence the sweet animation.
9. Gera's bunny hop
It was overshadowed by some Portuguese guy scoring an indelible flick later in the match (we'll get to that in a minute) but 37-year-old Zoltan Gera did his best to reinvent the volley with a little hop-step before his shot that was equal parts awesome and unusual. Whatever it was, it worked like a charm.
8. Griezmann's deft chip
The sweetest little dink. (The goal, not Antoine Griezmann).
7. Nainggolan unleashes a rocket
"He struck that sweetly." It's a staple of every football commentator's extensive repertoire, and never was it more appropriate than when Radja Nainggolan swung his leg back and connected with that poor, poor football to open the scoring against Wales. That Wayne Hennessey even risked having his arm ripped off by trying to divert the blistering projectile was admirable.
6. Modric shows off his perfect technique
Croatian talisman Luka Modric ripped out the guide to striking a volley from every football book ever written, replacing it with a video of this goal against Turkey. (Yes, I'm aware the logistics of that don't work. Just play along).
5. Hamsik breaks out his protractor
No angle? No problem. Mohawked Slovakian star Marek Hamsik, the driving force behind his side's run to the knockout stages, hit the sweet spot between power and placement against Russia, thumping an effort that had no business curling the way it did. Many tallies clip the post before finding the net, but few smack it so violently before beating the goalkeeper. There was something oddly beautiful about the way the effort crashed off the upright and nestled into the opposite side.
4. Payet becomes a French hero
With an entire nation on edge after watching 89 minutes of tepid, nervy football in the tournament opener, Dimitri Payet provided arguably the most memorable moment of the competition by literally rocketing himself into French hearts with this left-footed thunderbolt in the waning seconds against Romania. How different could things have turned out without that timely strike?
3. Robson-Kanu pays tribute to Cruyff
Hal Robson-Kanu had likely never been mentioned in the same breath as legendary Dutch master Johan Cruyff before, but that all changed when the Welsh forward left three Belgian defenders with their pants down after executing a perfect Cruyff turn in the Dragons' historic quarter-final triumph. Thomas Meunier, Marouane Fellaini and (especially) Jason Denayer all have to retire now. Those are the rules.
2. Ronaldo's sumptuous flick
In his best performance of the competition, Cristiano Ronaldo saved his side from an embarrassing group stage elimination with a brace against Hungary, the showstopper being this cheeky little flick that left even Gabor Kiraly and his magical sweatpants helpless.
1. Shaqiri rides his bike
Everybody else was playing for second place after the pint-sized Swiss star hung in the air and connected with a stunning bicycle kick to beat Lukasz Fabianski. The technique itself was out of this world, but the fact that his effort clipped the post before rippling the mesh made it that much better.
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