Picking the best XI of the Euro 2016 group stage

The group stage of Euro 2016 has come to a close, with 16 teams advancing into the knockout stage of the competition after three rounds of fixtures sent eight teams on departing flights out of France.

While there were a number of surprises and underdog wins - we're looking at you, Iceland, Hungary, Ireland, and Northern Ireland - some of the continent's biggest stars also put in commendable performances.

Here's our take on the best XI from the group stage of Euro 2016.

GK: Michael McGovern (Northern Ireland)

Northern Ireland shot-stopper Michael McGovern conceded just two goals in his side's three group stage fixtures, and while the team suffered a pair of 1-0 losses, McGovern's goalkeeping coupled with a 2-0 win over Ukraine kept Northern Ireland's goal differential at zero, enough to advance out of Group C.

RB: Darijo Srna (Croatia)

Croatia captain Darijo Srna didn't just help his side defeat Spain, but did so just days after attending the funeral of his recently-departed father. He played a key role in helping his goalkeeper Danijel Subasic make a save on a Sergio Ramos penalty, whispering what Ramos' tendencies are from the spot.

CB: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)

Few defenders command their ranks and lead by example quite like Leonardo Bonucci does for Italy and against Belgium, the Juventus man displayed the kind of defensive performance that makes him oh-so beloved by the Azzurri faithful.

CB: Jerome Boateng (Germany)

By merit of being considered one of the best defenders in the world, Germany's Jerome Boateng had to go above and beyond to impress at Euro 2016; he did just that, putting in an incredible showing against Ukraine and Poland as he flexed his defensive muscles to three consecutive clean sheets.

LB: Robbie Brady (Rep. of Ireland)

Robbie Brady has played as both a left full-back and as a left midfielder for the Republic of Ireland but, regardless of where he plays, his last-gasp header against Italy, which secured a spot in the knockout stage, makes him stand out among the crop of back four options in this position.

CM: Toni Kroos (Germany)

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has been rather busy, leading all players in passes attempted (353) and passes completed (328), good for a 93 percent pass accuracy. His tireless work rate and ability to craft a play is exactly what Joachim Low wants to see from the middle of the park.

CM: Grzegorz Krychowiak (Poland)

Poland midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak is a wanted man. After enjoying a strong club season with Sevilla, Krychowiak continued making headlines at Euro 2016 with strong showings against Ukraine, Germany and Northern Ireland. His performance against Germany in particular was quite impressive, as he controlled proceedings in midfield and extinguished a host of German attacks.

CAM: Andres Iniesta (Spain)

As expected, Spain's midfield maestro Andres Iniesta dazzled in the first three matches of La Furia Roja's title defense, combining well with Cesc Fabregas in the middle, David Silva out wide and Alvaro Morata up top. There remain few midfielders with comparable class as the Barcelona man, whose spellbinding showing against Turkey is arguably the best performance of the competition thus far.

RW: Gareth Bale (Wales)

Gareth Bale found the back of the net three times as Wales stormed to the top of Group B, but he could have had even more, tormenting his opponents over 90 minutes with a number of close chances - particularly against Russia. He has been the most exciting attacking player in the tournament thus far, deadly from both open play and, of course, dead ball situations.

LW: Dimitri Payet (France)

While France struggled to impose itself early, Dimitri Payet certainly did not; the West Ham attacker scored a late goal in France's first two matches of the tournament, including a game-winning thunderbolt on the opening day against Romania. Like Bale, Payet has been a threat up top throughout each match.

CF: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Cristiano Ronaldo twice pulled Portugal back from the brink of elimination against Hungary, and simultaneously smashed through a pair of records with his presence and his goals. Still without a win, Ronaldo will need to turn it up yet another notch in order to dispatch Croatia in the Round of 16.