Heartbreak For Hosts France as Ronaldo-less Portugal Pipes Them To Euro 2016 Trophy

France went into this Euro 2016 final backed by a tide of emotion and expectation after victory against World Cup holders Germany in Thursday's semi-final in Marseille.

Goalkeeper Lloris, one of France's senior figures, spoke of how Euro 2016 had helped the population "escape" the suffering of the Paris attacks in November, in which 130 people died and hundreds more were injured.

France's players have been dignified and carried that burden confidently to reach the final against Portugal, but there was to be no happy conclusion to this campaign as they failed to reproduce the form that beat Germany.

Perhaps that weight was finally too much for them here with the nation behind them. They were unable to take advantage of what should have been a huge lift to their hopes when Ronaldo went off - indeed his departure seemed to effect the hosts more than Portugal.

Gignac almost provided a dramatic winning goal in the final seconds of normal time, but in the final reckoning Didier Deschamps' side were unable to rise to the occasion and suffered the bitter disappointment of defeat in a major final in their own capital city.