"I would have dearly wished, and I gave everything again, that there would have been 109 internationals in the end and that this one big title, the European Championship, would have been added at the end."
Pukki, who had been suffering from an ankle injury, declared himself fit on Friday and was named in Finland's starting line-up alongside captain Tim Sparv, who has overcome a knee issue to anchor the midfield.
Following the unprecedented decision to postpone the competition in March last year at the start of the pandemic, the health crisis is not over and Covid-19 will continue to cast a shadow over this European Championship.