The 25-year-old striker, who stands 1.76 metres tall, caught the eye on the big stage against Germany, driving home a penalty at the end of the first half before poking in the ball on 72 minutes following a rare blunder by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Didier Deschamps has let his hair go grey naturally since the last time he picked up a European title 16 years ago. The diminutive Deschamps was never a spectacular player -- a la Zinedine Zidane -- and certainly does not belong to the Jose Mourinho school of coaching with sensational sound bites. But the unglamorous Frenchman with the twangy voice has been instrumental in taking the host nation through to Sunday's Euro 2016 final against Portugal.
Germany's younger generation can rightfully feel they are the ones to be trusted when the world champions line up for a Euro 2016 semi-final next week after they stood up to be counted in the country's first tournament victory over Italy on Saturday.
Poland have an impressive defensive record at Euro 2016 but standing in their way to a semi-final spot is arguably one of sport's greatest-ever athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Javier Pastore and Edinson Cavani scored late as Paris St Germain ignored their fans' boos and recovered from a shaky start to beat visiting strugglers Evian Thonon Gaillard 4-2 on Sunday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Serie A witnessed some breath-taking football action, especially when AC Milan could not convert the umpteen chances they had against Sassuolo while Inter went to top. In Ligue 1 action, all the star players found the net for PSG. Here are images from the soccer matches played across Europe on Sunday.
A round-up of Saturday's action in La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
'The Indian Army served with honour and distinction in France and Flanders, East Africa, Gallipoli, Aden, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Transcaspia, Persia and even China.' 'The sacrifice of India's soldiers was consigned to the dustbin of history in the post-colonial world.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Penpix of the top men's contenders at the 2017 French Open:
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
France decimated Iceland in a 5-2 win to end the Nordic nations Euro 2016 dream run in the quarter-final on Sunday.
Everton have agreed to sign Barcelona's Colombia centre back Yerry Mina for an initial 30.25 million euros ($34.97 million) and have also taken the club's midfielder Andre Gomes on loan, the Spanish champions said on Thursday.
Substitute Ricardo Quaresma turned in three minutes from the end of extra time as Portugal edged a tense encounter to book a UEFA Euro 2016 quarter-final date with Poland. After 116 minutes in which the teams failed to muster a single shot on target, Ivan Perisic headed against the upright.
Four-time European Champions Ajax Amsterdam were felled at the first hurdle of the continent's second tier Europa League on Thursday, exiting in the group stage two days after rivals PSV Eindhoven celebrated long-awaited success.
It has been a tortuous journey for France's Patrice Evra, once blamed for playing a dark role in the worst scandal in the history of the national team but now in the limelight as the wise old man of a team with high hopes.
Spanish striker Sergio Contreras Pardo's opportunistic first-half strike gave NorthEast FC a 1-0 victory over Sachin Tendulkar co-owned Kerala Blasters FC in the second match of the Hero Indian Super League, in Guwahati, on Monday night. The former Marseille frontman, popularly known as Koke, struck at the stroke of half-time with a snap angular right-footer from the top of the box, sending the ball past former England custodian David James's far right.
A summary of the results of the major European football league matches on the weekend.
Lionel Messi dragged Barcelona back from two goals down by scoring twice to snatch a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia in a thrilling encounter.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Bigger than ever, the European Championship kicks off in Paris next month with a four-week feast of football that promises to elevate the game above the corruption scandals and security fears that have overshadowed its build-up.
City's Aguero doubtful starter for Watford trip
Manchester United humbled Manchester City 4-2 in the continent's big derby of the weekend.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Check out the top footballers of the weekend...
'Whether I die in Calcutta or in Paris, on a Wednesday or a Saturday, it does not matter, but you would not want me to come to India's door and then return to France without having visited India.' 'Either I will die or I will visit India!' Claude Arpi hails Georges Clemenceau, French prime minister during the Great War, a great man who loved India.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Annabel Mehta, Sachin Tendulkar's mother-in-law, has dedicated her life to working with the Beautiful People of the other half of Mumbai without whom the city would neither exist nor thrive. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel met the amazing lady who was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for her service to underprivileged communities.
Chelsea re-signed David Luiz and Premier League champions Leicester City broke their transfer record for striker Islam Slimani as English clubs exceeded the one billion pounds barrier when the curtain fell on transfer deadline day.
Manchester United took over at the top of the Premier League while Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi could be out for up to two months with a knee injury and rampant Bayern Munich extended their perfect start to seven league wins.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Napoli began their Europa League group stage campaign in scintillating fashion.
Dimitri Payet struck a brace for the Hammers against a tired Newcastle, whose players had to trudge the last mile to West Ham United's stadium after their team coach became stuck in London's rush-hour traffic before Monday's Premier League fixture.
Roger Federer beat an injured Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 to set up an all-Swiss Monte Carlo Masters final with Stanislas Wawrinka after the Australian Open champion ousted David Ferrer.
Rediff.com makes an assessment of the biggest gambles made by the leading Premier League teams this summer.
Manchester United's hopes of salvaging their season in the Europa League suffered a stinging setback when they lost 2-1 at Danish side Midtjylland in the first leg of their last-32 clash on Thursday.
Borussia Dortmund fans will be offered tea and pies at Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday but there will be no such generosity on the pitch with the Russians intent on reaching their first Champions League quarter-final.
