Image via Instagram
With hype around UEFA Euro 2016 reaching fever pitch, it's essential for football fans to get as close to the action in France as they possibly can.
Unless you're lucky enough to have a ticket for the hottest tournament of the summer, you'll be restricted to following your heroes on TV, in the press and – for a more personal touch – Instagram.
Players' personal Instagram accounts took us inside the life of athletes at a major tournament for the first time ever at the 2014 World Cup, and things should be even more transparent this time around.
To get an inside track on the teams and talents at Euro 2016, you need to be following these 10 players on Instagram.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Age: 31
Instagram: @cristiano
With no Lionel Messi, Neymar or Luis Suarez in sight, Cristiano Ronaldo is undisputedly the best player on show at Euro 2016. At 31-years-old, this is likely to be the last tournament that Cristiano will compete in where he's close to the peak of his powers. He's also one of football's most prolific Instagrammers, expect selfies for days from France.
David Alaba
Country: Austria
Age: 23
Instagram: @da_27
David Alaba is one of football's most prolific personalities on Snapchat, but his Instagram game is pretty strong, too. If Austria fulfil their potential and cause an upset to reach the latter stages of the competition, you're guaranteed to see celebratory dressing room scenes...with Drake on full blast in the background.
Dele Alli
Country: England
Age: 20
Instagram: @delealli36
Despite being usurped as England's next big thing by Marcus Rashford in the last few weeks, Dele Alli is a certain starter for England at Euro 2016 and could be one of the tournament's breakout stars. He's also a pretty chill guy who lives for Yeezys and one-upping his Spurs and England teammate, Eric Dier.
Lukas Podolski
Country: Germany
Age: 31
Instagram: @poldi_official
It's pretty remarkable for Germany – the current world champions with one of the deepest talent pools in all of football – to still have Lukas Podolski on the books, who's only scored six international goals in the last six years. Podolski is clearly one of the favourites in the German squad though and he's never shy to take photos from the dressing room, the hotel or even the sidelines.
Paul Pogba
County: France
Age: 23
Instagram: @paulpogba
Paul Pogba is the poster boy of Euro 2016 and with France as one of the competition favourites, he's the man to follow if you want a look inside the French camp. He's also friends with Pusha T and Stormzy, is Drake's new favourite footballer and is the most in-demand player on the planet right now. It's his tournament for the taking.
Sergio Ramos
Country: Spain
Age: 30
Instagram: @sr4oficial
Spain remain one of the favourites for Euro 2016 and arguably the best dressed man in football, Sergio Ramos, has the busiest Instagram account of anyone in the Spanish squad. Loud on and off the pitch, there's rarely a dull moment with Ramos.
Breel Embolo
Country: Switzerland
Age: 19
Instagram: @breelembolo97
Switzerland's 19-year-old Breel Embolo is one of the most highly hyped players in European football, and it's expected that Euro 2016 will be a change to cement himself as a future star of the sport. One swoop through his Instagram also tells us he's one of football's biggest sneakerheads.
Marcus Rashford
Country: England
Age: 18
Instagram: @marcusrashford
No one knew who Marcus Rashford was at the start of the year, now he's one of a handful of strikers picked to lead the line for England at Euro 2016. Whether he plays a minute or not, watching Rashford's experience of being at a major international tournament will be one of the highlights for any football fan. The last time England led with an 18-year-old at the Euros? Wayne Rooney in 2004, when he scored four goals. It might just happen.
Jerome Boateng
Country: Germany
Age: 27
Instagram: @jeromeboateng
The only football player in the world to be signed by Jay Z (he recently joined Roc Nation's sports management arm) is an automatic starter at the heart of Germany's defence. His Instagram is everything you'd expect from a football player who deals in the world's of hip-hop: balling.
Divock Origi
Country: Belgium
Age: 21
Instagram: @divockorigi
With a squad so stacked that it still takes people by surprise, Belgium remain everyone's outside bet to win the European Championships this summer. Liverpool striker Divock Origi has bags of character and he's aleady been posting an abundance of selfies with fans and fellow players in the run up to the big kick off.
