Gianluigi Donnarumma’s penalty shootout heroics in back-to-back knockout ties were enough to hand him the UEFA Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament award. Meanwhile, Spain’s Pedri was named the Young Player of the Tournament.
Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma was named UEFA Euro 2020’s Player of the Tournament following his penalty shootout heroics in the final against England. AC Milan goalkeeper saved spot-kicks from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, thus handing Italy the championship title.
Spain’s Pedri, meanwhile, was crowned the competition’s best young player while Cristiano Ronaldo bagged the Golden Boot.
Donnarumma started and finished all but one of Italy’s seven games – he was subbed out during the group stage game against Wales. The 22-year-old kept three clean sheets, all during the group stage, but was crucial for his side in the knockouts. He helped the Azzurri win back-to-back penalty shootouts in the semi-final and the final and saved the crucial kick from Saka, which won his team the tournament. The Italian became the first goalkeeper in the competition’s history to be named as the best player.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Pedri was named the Young Player of the Tournament due to his impressive displays throughout. Alongside Sergio Busquets and Koke, Pedri helped Spain control the middle of the park against heavyweights such as Croatia, Switzerland, and Italy. Despite La Roja’s semi-final exit against the eventual champions, the 18-year-old was chosen as the best young player in the competition by UEFA’s technical observers.
Furthermore, Portugal’s Ronaldo bagged the UEFA Euro 2020 Golden Boot with five goals and an assist to his name. The striker finished level with the Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick on goals but edged his fellow forward with the help of assists. Moreover, Ronaldo had the advantage over Schick in terms of minutes played; he scored his five goals over a period of 360 minutes while Schick did it in 404. France’s Karim Benzema came third with four goals to his name.
Italy also won the highest share of prize money thanks to their win. The Azzurri bagged 34 million euros, including 10 million for winning the final.
