The ultimate day of the underdog as Portugal shock France

Not a final for the ages and not even a result for the age that we live in.

Eight months after the Stade de France and Paris were centres of terror, last night the same venue and the same city were meant to be places only of joy for the French.

Instead, thanks to one moment of extra time magic from Eder, the euphoria belonged entirely to a stubborn, well-drilled Portuguese team — one based more on functionality than flair — which had seemed robbed of its stardust when injury forced Cristiano Ronaldo early out of the decider.