Would Xavi Hernandez please step forward! With several stunning performances where he helped the new European champions absolutely boss the midfield, it is with delight we can confirm that the Barcelona-based hero has been voted player of the tournament. Congratulations sir – and although he may not be the obvious choice, we at euro2008statistics.com, as well as the Spanish football blog, think that Xavi is a fine choice.

According to those folks over at the CPI, Xavi was “one of the key men in the winning side, offering a consistently creative presence during the campaign” – and just look at these stats to prove it.

Most importantly, Xavi’s influence grew as the tournament progressed and it was he who broke the deadlock in the semi-final against Russia. He then created Fernando Torres’ winning goal in the final to end the long Spanish international trophy drought. Incredible work….