France vs Romania to kick off Euro 2016

All eyes will be on hosts France when they get the ball rolling against Romania in the Stade de France -- 210 days after suicide bombers at the same venue triggered a night of horror across the capital which killed 130 people. It should have been a proud moment for former UEFA president Michel Platini. 

The France great, who inspired his country’s 1984 title on home soil, achieved his wish of expanding the tournament to a record 24 nations. But a four-year ban, handed down after becoming engulfed by the FIFA corruption scandal that has rocked the sport, means his presence at the tournament will be in a purely unofficial capacity. 

Against such a backdrop it can only be hoped that the tournament, the first since the sleaze hit the fan last summer and the last with a single host before it goes continent-wide in 2020, can deliver some memorable moments on the pitch. It certainly has the potential to do so with 51 matches in 31 days spread across France.