Portugal’s Quaresma reveals hairstyle worthy of final

The National’s Sport cover for the Sunday, July 10 issue, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann ahead of the Euro 2016 final.

Deschamps was key in France’s last success after skippering his country to Euro 2000, having done the same as they won the World Cup on home soil two years earlier.

From there, it was all France; the home squad dominated the second half, Griezmann added a second goal, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was unbeatable in the 2-0 win.

“It’s a really great story”.

“All the French public is behind us”. Like us, they are now in the final.

Antoine Griezmann has been France’s talismanic forward at the tournament so far.

France also beat Portugal in a friendly in Lisbon as recently as last September and won 2-1 with goals from Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba in a friendly at the Stade de France in October 2014.

The last time the pair faced each other was in May’s UEFA Champions League Final, which Real won 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in which Griezmann missed a spot-kick during regular time.

Deschamps was forced to tweak his formation when holding midfielder N’Golo Kante was suspended for France’s quarterfinal win over Iceland.

France midfielder Blaise Matuidi talked up Griezmann’s Ballon d’Or prospects on Friday and, although Deschamps would not be drawn on his player out-shining three-time victor Ronaldo in a bid for football’s most coveted individual prize, he spoke of having a special talent at his disposal.

Ronaldo, however, served a timely reminder of his ability to decide a game with a brilliant bullet header in Portugal’s 2-0 semi-final win over Wales.

Real Madrid star Ronaldo has installed Les Bleus as firm favourites for the Stade de France showdown, but still expects Portugal to pull off a surprise triumph.

Ronaldo started the tournament in subdued fashion, much like his team, but has improved, culminating in a match winning display against Wales in the quarterfinal, where he scored the first and made the second in a blistering three minute spell that knocked Wales out.

“Now we are in the final again and we hope we will win it”.

At just 29, Messi has given up the ghost on that elusive hunt for a major worldwide title, having suffered another disappointment following Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. Ronaldo meanwhile wants to erase the shock of the Euro 2004 final in which Portugal were beaten 1-0 by unheralded Greece, and he a 19-year-old starlet in his first major event.

“We believe in our colleagues next to us – this is the spirit that brought us here”. “The coach has given us this confidence, this spirit”. That’s not to say Portugal doesn’t have the ultimate game changer in captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

William Carvalho is expected to return to the starting line-up after missing the semi-final through suspension.