Berlin comes to standstill as heroes return home

World Cup winners Germany touched down on home soil yesterday as they returned to Berlin with the top prize in football.

Captain Philipp Lahm led his champions from the aircraft shortly after 10am local time, followed by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was wearing the German flag, and the team were greeted by excited fans trying to get a glimpse of the trophy as they made their way through the airport.

Thousands of supporters lined the Fan Mile in the centre of Berlin as the team and manager, Joachim Low, who were all dressed in identical winners’ T-shirts, took to an open-top truck to parade the trophy and show off their medals.

On the side of the truck was painted the years of Germany’s four triumphs at the biggest tournament in world football, “1954, 1974, 1990, 2014!”

Low held the trophy aloft to the sound of much cheering and applause as the truck slowly made its way through the thick crowds, with hundreds of fans following behind as they hailed their heroes with chants of “Deutschland, Deutschland!”.

The sea of fans were chanting for their heroes ! as the truck continued through the city streets with no sign of the road or pavements, just people celebrating as they made their way to the iconic Brandenburg Gate.

“It’s beautiful. It feels very good, it’s all gone perfectly for us,” Andre Schurrle said.

Toni Kroos added: “It was a great World Cup.”