Gareth Bale could not resist getting his dig in. "It's a moral victory for us," he said on Thursday regarding Wales' progress from Group B as winners. "It gives you bragging rights to finish top. It's always nice to get one over on the English."
His delight was understandable, but the wider picture is more intriguing. With England pushed into the lower half of the Euro 2016 draw alongside Spain, France, Italy and Germany, an obvious conclusion is that the inevitable casualties will dilute the tournament's quality in the latter stages. Further, some decorated stars have been grouped in the top half of the draw; things have opened up deliciously for Bale, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Belgium's Eden Hazard or Croatia's Luka Modric to make the kind of impact that is sometimes denied to countries of lesser size.
"If we go to the final, maybe we can say that it was good not to have too many favourites on our side," said Hazard after their early defeat to Italy. And while the bottom section of the draw is tightening up, the big names just above are limbering up.
It was a surprise to see Hazard given the "man of the match" award after a relatively quiet performance in Belgium's 1-0 win over Sweden, but despite a good performance against Ireland, he is the only member of the quartet not to have hit full stride. Bale, Modric and (finally, after his two goals against Hungary) Ronaldo are in coruscating form, and the stage is set for individual brilliance to shine in a competition that has generally been cagey and tight so far.
Ronaldo and Modric (perhaps the outlier in this list as he is part of an excellent all-round Croatia side) face off on Saturday in Saint-Etienne after a meeting between Bale's side and Northern Ireland. Hazard and Belgium have a winnable tie against Hungary, and the likelihood is that by the time the final comes around on July 10, at least one of them will have produced the kind of magic that sweeps a team to the very end.
History is dotted with players from smaller countries who haven't managed to attain the status they deserve on the international stage. Ryan Giggs, whose mantle Bale inherited as Wales' undisputed star, never reached a major tournament when rampaging down the wing for his country. Further afield, there was never any chance for George Weah and Liberia to shine at the highest level. The teams in question at Euro 2016 are considerably stronger, but the chances of an extravagantly gifted individual settling a European Championship are perhaps at their highest.
You have to go back to 1988, when Marco van Basten's magical volley crowned the Netherlands' win over the USSR, to see an instance of genuine brilliance illuminate a final at this tournament. Van Basten was playing for a marvellous team, surrounded by players like Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman. In terms of talent pool, Belgium are the nearest equivalent in 2016, but there is nothing directly comparable. After a chaotic final set of group games, these Euros have created the perfect platform for those of exalted status to produce something special.
So who has the best chance? Bale should be backed to lead a comfortable enough defeat of the Northern Irish, and Wales' quarterfinal opponents would probably be Belgium. Portugal will surely be dependent on a firing Ronaldo to stand a chance against the Croatians, and the likelihood is that Hazard and Modric will stand the best chance of adorning glittering careers with the trophy. But all have room for genuine optimism now. While Italy and Spain slug out what will surely be an attritional last-16 clash and Germany, France and England all keep half an eye on what would be a titanic series of tests later on, the top half's shining lights may not feel too worn down at all.
The moment has come for some of Euro 2016's sublime talents to deliver what, in many cases, has never seemed possible.