Euro 2012: Top 10 football games for iPhone and iPad

Euro 2012 is almost here, which can mean only three things: an increase in the consumption of alcohol in the UK; more disappointment for England fans; and a sudden urge to play football-related games.

Thankfully, the iPhone and iPad play host to a whole bunch of foot-to-ball titles. These soccer simulations are the next best thing to getting out on the pitch.

These are our top ten iOS footy games...

Score! Classic Goals has only just been promoted into the App Store's first team, but it's one of the most fun (and nostalgia-packed) footy titles out there.

In it, you're tasked with recreating memorable international goals from the past four decades by drawing the ball's path with your finger, and watching your on-screen players tackle, pass, and shoot.

New Star Soccer
By New Star Games - download for iPhone and iPad

New Star Soccer is a simulation title in which you face up to the everyday on- and off-field challenges of a real-world footballer, such as training, spending your hard-earned cash, and hushing the press with superinjunctions.

Okay, maybe not that last one.

Matches play out in a text-based fashion until you get a hold of the ball, whereupon you can pass or shoot, or completely mess up and boot it out of the field.

FIFA 12 is probably the most complete footy title you can purchase for a mobile device.

For your cash, you're getting 22 officially licensed leagues, which means 500 licensed teams and more than 15,000 real-world players. Plus, if you've already hung up your boots for the last time, there's a Manager mode to delve into.

Flick Kick Football
By PikPok - buy for iPhone and iPad

Flick Kick Football eschews tackling and mid-match Lucozade breaks in favour of the best bit of football: scoring killer goals.

This arcade game features an abundance of different modes to test your skills, including a Bullseye mode, which charges you with smashing targets; and a Time Attack mode, which invites you to score as many goals as you can before the clock runs out.

Football Manager Handheld 2012
By Sega - buy for iPhone and iPad

Football Manager Handheld 2012 is all about constructing winning formations, coming up with clever tactics, and stopping your star players from swanning off to Manchester City.

Football management games are generally long-winded affairs, but in Football Manager Handheld 2012 Sega has included a Challenge mode, which throws you headlong into short-term scenarios.

Dice Soccer!
By LambdaMu Games - download for iPhone and iPad

In Dice Soccer!, you play as the manager of an up-and-coming soccer team. It's your job, then, to hire goalies, defenders, midfielders, and strikers from a pool of hundreds of different players - all of which pack their own unique abilities.

Every action you attempt to make on the pitch, such as a pass or a tackle, requires the roll of some dice and a bit of luck.

First Touch Soccer
By Exient IP Limited - buy for iPhone and iPad

There may not be any real-world teams on offer here, but there are 250 different club teams, 30 competitions, and seven game modes to lace your boots up for.

Those modes include a Multiplayer option that allows you to play with friends over local Bluetooth and wi-fi networks.

Head Soccer
By D&D Dream Corp. - download for iPhone

Another arcade-style footy title. Head Soccer sees you pull on the jersey of a lone footballer, who sports an oversized noggin.

Your aim in this game is to beat your similarly shaped opponents across two game modes - Arcade and Tournament - using a range of powerful kick moves and abilities.

Dream League Soccer
By First Touch - download for iPhone and iPad

Dream League Soccer tasks you with building the world's best team. How? By hiring and firing players, improving your stadium, and taking on other teams from around the world.

Although you are in charge of managerial duties, you don't just spend matches sitting on your backside in the dugout. Instead, you take to the field and get your hands dirty, much like you would in FIFA 12 and other similar titles.

FIFA Superstars
By EA - download for iPhone

Ever dreamt of managing a dream team that's filled with Messi, Ronaldo, Agüero, Heskey, and other players of the same calibre? Well, now you can.

So, you'll be buying, trading, and even training some of the world's greatest footballing superstars, before sending them onto the pitch to face real-world tactics from real-world managers.