Attack proves best form of defence for Ireland to hold Ibrahimovic

L’Equipe, France’s daily sports bible, ran a piece on the eve of the tournament on the players most likely to take our breath away and leave a glittering body of work in their wake.

They headlined it: ‘The Galaxy of Stars’.

The inclusion of Wayne Rooney, regardless of the fact that he was landed with the label of enigma, took some of the gloss from it, but the context was clear: This was going to be a tournament about great individuals rather than great teams.