Euro 2012: Picking a Best XI from the 16 Finalists Headed to Poland and Ukraine

Last night, the final four places for next summer's Euro 2012 finals were taken up by Portugal, Czech Republic, Croatia and Republic of Ireland.

The quartet of playoff winners will join Spain, France, England, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and the two host nations—Poland and Ukraine—in the draw for the group stages on December 2nd.

The finals themselves kick off on June 8th in Warsaw, and culminate in the final in Kiev on July 1st.

In the seven months between now and then, we'll be bringing you the very best of preview material and analysis at Bleacher Report, and I'm going to wade in with an early attempt at picking a best XI from the players who'll be at the finals.

When you look at Iker Casillas' international record, it's remarkable he's still only 30. The Real Madrid goalkeeper is well on his way to 150 caps for Spain and was a vital component of the teams who triumphed at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010.

If you need reminding of his talents, take a look at this selection of his top 10 saves for Real.

You'll notice a theme already here. Sergio Ramos has passed 80 caps for Spain and is still just 25 years old.

Ramos was selected for the FIFA All-Star team at World Cup 2010, and for what it's worth also topped the Castrol Performance Index. But the primary reason for picking him here is he's the best man for the job.

There's an argument for picking an all-Spain central pairing too, but I'm going for Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.

The Juventus player was ever-present in a team that conceded just two goals in 10 qualifying games.

It's hard to look past Gerard Pique. The Barcelona defender is a commanding presence at the heart of the Spanish defense, where he also delivers immaculate technique and composure on the ball.

Sorry, Ashley Cole fans, but the manner of Germany's emphatic qualification gives their captain Phillip Lahm the edge here.

Quick and strong, with two good feet, Lahm is 28 and will be looking at next summer's finals as his defining international tournament.

Germany's Mesut Ozil makes it three Real Madrid players in the XI.

Ozil scored five times in Germany's romp to qualification, and also provided seven assists. He might prefer a more central role behind the strikers, but I need him to operate from the right in my star-studded midfield.

This one doesn't really need a slide. The best central midfielder in the world, who makes the best team in the world tick. Xavi is without equal right now.

Again, a given. Andres Iniesta is the younger half of possibly the best central-midfield pairing the game has seen.

On current form, Cristiano Ronaldo is by some distance the best player heading to the finals—only Lionel Messi comes close on the international stage.

Ronaldo has scored seven in his last eight games for Portugal, and will be looking to stamp his authority on the tournament next summer.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was on fire in qualification. The Dutchman scored 12 times in just eight appearances, including a hat trick and three doubles.

Huntelaar is also banging them in for Schalke, for whom he's bagged 10 in 11 Bundesliga games this season. With the Dutch among the fancied nations next summer, Huntelaar is on course to be one of the stars of the tournament.

Mario Gomez is another striker in irresistible form this season. The German international has scored 13 in 11 Bundesliga games, and five in four Champions League games for Bayern Munich.

In Euro 2012 qualifying, Gomez failed to score in just one of the six games he featured in for Germany.