Uruguay national team received a heros welcome as they returned home from South Africa. Hundreds of thousands of Uruguayans followed and cheered the team in a long motorcade as they paraded along the sea promenade of the capital city, Montevideo, on Tuesday.

The players waved to the crowd from the bus, holding flags, some of them filming on their own camcorders to cherish this moment forever.

On the sides of the bus, a large banner summed up the nation's feeling: "Orgullo celeste", Spanish for "Light blue pride", referring to the colour of Uruguay's shirt.