Above all else, Euro 2012 provides an opportunity to watch some of the best athletes in the world ply their trade. Sure to be competing for the Golden Boot 鈥� awarded to the tournament鈥檚 top goalscorer 鈥� are world-class strikers like Portugal鈥檚 Cristiano Ronaldo, the Netherlands鈥檚 Robin van Persie, and France鈥檚 Karim Benzema. And one can鈥檛 count out suitably fiery performances from hot-tempered strikers like England鈥檚 Wayne Rooney, who will miss the first two games of the tourney for disciplinary reasons, and Italy鈥檚 Mario Balotelli.
And those are just the forwards; Euro 2012 will also let playmakers like Spain鈥檚 Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta or Germany鈥檚 Mesut Ozil work their magic in midfield, while Italy鈥檚 Gianluigi Buffon and his fellow goalkeepers prowl between the pipes. All in all, the tournament will be a grand showcase for soccer鈥檚 top talents, and should not be missed by fans.
Darko Vojinovic/AP
