Euro 2020: Our picks and selections for Team of the Tournament
Italy secured European glory by beating England on penalties in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley.
Gianluigi Donnarumma - Player of the Tournament - held his nerve to save two crucial penalties as the Azzurri denied the Three Lions from ending their long wait for a major trophy.
Among the other individual award winners, Cristiano Ronaldo's five goals and one assist were enough for the Golden Boot while Spain midfielder Pedri picked up the Young Player of the Tournament accolade.
After four weeks of football, we pick out the 11 players who make up our Team of the Tournament.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Nation: Italy
We were in flip of a coin territory when it came to choosing Jordan Pickford or Gianluigi Donnarumma for the goalkeeper position and both have a strong claim for involvement.
However, it's easy to forget how young the Italy goalkeeper is because it feels like he has years of experience under his belt. At just 22, he's enjoyed a fantastic four weeks and picked up the Player of the Tournament award.
He was helped out by Italy's almost perfect defence at times and it meant that he only had ten saves to make across the course of the tournament. However, five of those coming from inside the area shows the quality of those chances.
Donnarumma denied Dani Olmo (0.46 xG) in the first-half of their semi-final victory over Spain while he also saved the crucial penalty from Alvaro Morata - following that up by denying Jadon Sancho and then Bukayo Saka in the final.
He's just earned a big move to PSG and will battle to be the number one at a side pushing for Champions League glory. His showings in this tournament will have helped his cause.
Defence: Denzel Dumfries
- Nation: Netherlands
It feels strange including a player whose team were eliminated at the round of 16 stage but Denzel Dumfries caught the eye with some blistering attacking performances from right wing-back.
He finished the tournament with two goals from an xG of 2.02 and four shots on target from a total of six.
Dumfries missed three big chances so could have easily been among the leading tournament scorers. That said, very few regular starters could top his 33.33% goal conversion rate - that's the same as Cristiano Ronaldo and better than Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and Czech Republic's Patrik Schick.
On the defensive side of things, his 63% tackle success rate from eight attempts stopped opposition attacks but it was his efforts going forward that really caught the eye. So much so that we could expect a move on the back of his performances across the past four weeks.
Defence: Giorgio Chiellini
- Nation: Italy
How could we create a team of the tournament without including Italy's presence in the heart of defence. Giorgio Chiellini's leadership and all-round love of everything defending helped drive Gli Azzurri to the final.
At 36 years of age, his experienced head was vital and he didn't really show any signs of tiring legs. He averaged a significant two interceptions per match while his foul count was half that at one.
Chiellini was also never dribbled past leading to an opposition attack in his five outings - the same as defensive partner Leonardo Bonucci. The duo form a fine pairing but it's the captain who earns his spot here.
Is this the last tournament we will see Chiellini involved in? We shouldn't be so certain with the World Cup just 18 months away. Italy will certainly hope he's got a few more years in him at least.
Defence: Harry Maguire
- Nation: England
An incredibly important player since returning to the England starting line-up, Harry Maguire has a huge presence in defence while also being their key threat from set-piece situations.
He netted in the 4-0 win over Ukraine and would also have two shots on target in the semi-final victory over Denmark. His final tournament xG was 0.78 across four appearances while also registering an xA of 0.35.
Maguire's ability to carry the ball out of defence was crucial in starting attacks for the Three Lions. He would also finish second for interceptions among England players (9) with Declan Rice seeing more (12) - it's worth noting that Rice featured in two more games than Maguire.
The centre-back's 21 aerial duels won put him among the tournament leaders in this area while he was only dribbled past once in his four appearances. Maguire has firmly established himself as a key figure for England.
Defence: Luke Shaw
- Nation: England
It was a close competition between Luke Shaw and Leonardo Spinazzola for this place - but the England man takes the position given how important he has been in their deep run in the tournament.
His defensive output has been spot on but he's contributed significantly in attack. His three assists came from an xA figure of 2.06 while his nine key passes were the highest of any England player - he also netted in the final.
Only Gareth Bale (5) beat Shaw's tally of four big chances created and a respectable 87.2% pass completion rate showed that he wasn't wasteful in possession.
It's a redemption story of sorts for Shaw who has seen his career experience highs and lows across the past few years. His showings in the Premier League during the 20/21 campaign were strong though and he carried that into Euro 2020.
Midfield: Jorginho
- Nation: Italy
Italy's midfield has been a big reason behind their success in the tournament and the standout element of that has been Jorginho. He kept his cool to net the winning penalty as they beat Spain in the semi-final.
His reading of the game is exceptional and it helps Italy to win back possession. His 25 interceptions is a tournament high - well clear of N'Golo Kante (14) in second. Not only that but his 485 accurate passes was the second-highest of any player at Euro 2020.
It's more about his defensive work though and his ability to win back possession for his side - he hit double figures for tackles across seven games he was involved in.
An interesting statistic is that Jorginho (19) turned out to be the most fouled player at the tournament. Opposition midfielders have struggled to come up against him.
Midfield: Kalvin Phillips
- Nation: England
The 'Yorkshire Pirlo' has undergone a remarkable transformation with Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds - Kalvin Phillips' efforts in this tournament announced him on the European stage with plaudits gained from experts and fans alike.
One of the big questions for England heading into the tournament was whether they should play Phillips or Declan Rice and the answer turned out to be both. While either could have secured a spot in this team, Phillips' incredible fitness levels and desire to win back possession drove the Three Lions to the latter stages.
The midfielder was incredibly unlucky not to win UEFA's Star of the Match award in the 1-0 victory over Croatia - Sterling picked it up that day - but it was a performance which demonstrated why Southgate wanted him involved.
He's become the preferred midfielder of the two. The only time he's been taken off was when England made a number of changes when 3-0 up against Ukraine. Apart from that game, he's been a regular feature in the centre of the pitch for the Three Lions.
Midfield: Pedri
- Nation: Spain
At just 18 years of age, it was remarkable to witness the role Pedri played in helping Spain reach the semi-finals. He wasn't relied upon to deliver in attack but his all-round midfield play was superb across the six games he was involved in.
His showings in the tournament have caught the eye for all the right reasons. It's even reached a stage where UEFA's lead technical observer Fabio Capello has praised the impact of the Spain midfielder.
"I didn't see a player so young, so strong with personality, without fear, he is fantastic," Capello told UEFA.com. "I saw Messi when he was 17 and thought, 'This is a player who will be a genius'. As a midfielder Pedri for me is something completely different to the other players."
It was no surprise to see him earn the Young Player of the Tournament award.
He finished the tournament with an xA of 1.47 - demonstrating that he did create chances for his teammates - while he was among the leading players for big chances created (3). Alongside that, only four players could better his total number of key passes (11).
Pedri is certainly a player with a huge future ahead of him.
Forward: Emil Forsberg
- Nation: Sweden
A bit of a wildcard selection but a player who could have easily won the Golden Boot and was his teams go-to man.
Emil Forsberg scored four goals from an xG of 1.87. It's worth noting that one of those were a penalty so he truly made the most of the opportunities that came his way - he did finish with just four shots on target.
However, in Sweden's defeat to Ukraine, he would hit the crossbar and the post - agonisingly close to grabbing a hat-trick. If he did that, he would be sat on six goals and scooped the Golden Boot award.
Only five players could boast more successful dribbles as he became a nightmare for opposition defences. RB Leipzig will be hoping he can carry over his tournament form into the new Bundesliga season.
Forward: Patrik Schick
- Nation: Czech Republic
How could we not include Patrik Schick after the tournament he had? His five goals were crucial for the Czech Republic as they reached the quarter-finals - a narrow 2-1 defeat to Denmark in Baku ended their run.
Schick's efforts all came from an xG of 2.66 and he caught the eye with a wonderstrike from halfway against Scotland - a stranded David Marshall could do nothing as the perfectly-weighted shot flew over him and straight into the net.
His threat was evident throughout the five games he was involved in. His 16 attempts on goal were bettered only by Spain's Dani Olmo (20) and a trio of Italy forwards who played two extra games, while no player could top his nine shots on target. He was a constant threat throughout.
An outsider for top goalscorer with odds of 200/1 available at the beginning of the tournament, Schick delivered as his nation escaped a tough group containing Croatia and England and finished in the last-eight.
Forward: Raheem Sterling
- Nation: England
A strong contender for the best player award and with good reason. Raheem Sterling was a standout performer in attack for England and deservedly takes his spot in the Team of the Tournament.
Ahead of Harry Kane's knockout stages revival, Sterling was the leading scorer for England with three in four games after the round of 16 but he continued to play a crucial role as the Three Lions reached the final, losing to Italy on penalties.
His three goals came from an xG of 3.64 with 14 shots and eight on target. It's also the creativity that comes with Sterling - he had one assist with an xA of 1.08.
He contributed in defence - a requirement for this England side - with a tackle success rate of 78% from nine attempts. Sterling is a regular in this Three Lions side and their run in the tournament would not have been possible without him.
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