Spain 2010 South Africa World Cup Winner

"You are an example for new generations for your effort and the spirit you showed in overcoming the odds," the King, who had been unable to attend the final on doctors' orders after an illness, said in the Royal Palace. "You made our best dreams come true."

Afterwards, the team met Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who was also unable to make it to Soccer City stadium, before setting off round the streets of the capital in an open-topped bus.

The players wore red T-shirts with "world champions" emblazoned across the front, waved flags, and took photographs and videos of the red-and-yellow sea of fans lining the pavements, while music thumped out from huge speakers.

Spanish media hailed the players as a golden generation who had won by sticking to their classy precision passing despite a ferociously physical Dutch challenge. In the Netherlands, the mood was subdued after their third World Cup final defeat.

South Africa basked in pride at pulling off a highly praised tournament despite years of reports that it would be ruined by violent crime, chaos and incomplete stadiums.

Analysts say the tournament and its stunning stadiums would rebrand not just this country but Africa for investment and tourism, but the image was marred by two bomb attacks against World Cup viewers at a restaurant and rugby club in Kampala that killed 74 fans.

Somali Islamist militants claimed the attacks as punishment to Uganda for sending peacekeeping troops to their country.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter condemned the bombings and said he hoped soccer could be a force for good in the world.

"I am very sad...I can only deplore what has happened," he said.

INCOMPLETE PREPARATIONS

Blatter said South Africa, which a year ago had been criticized for incomplete preparations, had won his highest possible mark of nine out of 10.

"Africa has proven that really they can organize this World Cup... they can be proud," Blatter told a news conference.

But he acknowledged that the final had fallen short of the best quality because of the rough play, which resulted in a World Cup final record of 13 yellow cards from English referee Howard Webb, who also sent off defender John Heitinga. He was fiercely criticized by players from both sides.

More than 100,000 people had watched the game on open air screens in scorching heat in Madrid and many shed tears of joy or went hoarse with screams of delight.

Soccer's ruling body said a record 15.6 million Spaniards, or nearly 80 percent of television market share, watched and the figure was 90 percent in the Netherlands.

South Africans swelled with pride at a tournament where they continued to pack stadiums despite being the first host nation eliminated in the group stage. FIFA said nearly 3.2 million spectators attended the 64 games, the third highest total after the United States in 1994 and Germany in 2006.

Nelson Mandela, much loved father of post-apartheid South Africa but in frail health at the age of 91, capped national pride by touring the pitch in a golf buggy before the match in biting cold at the cavernous Soccer City stadium.

President Jacob Zuma on Monday said the nation's $5.3 billion spending on the tournament would bring in increased tourism, trade and investment.

He said it would create the revenue to address myriad social problems including widespread poverty, some of the world's greatest wealth disparities and an HIV pandemic, which critics say should have been given priority over the World Cup.

But organizers say it has created major infrastructure and brought together a nation still troubled by racial and social divisions 16 years after the end of apartheid.

"Never in our history have we seen South Africans so united," said Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organizers.

One of the big hits of the tournament was Paul the oracle octopus, who had a perfect record of eight-for-eight predictions and was given a replica trophy by his German aquarium.

But he is not universally popular. Germans threatened to barbeque Paul after he predicted their semi-final defeat by Spain and Graham Sharpe of British bookmakers William Hill said punters had made small fortunes by following his predictions.

"I'm going to the seaside and intend to eat as much octopus as I can cram down as revenge," Sharpe said.