Millions of French fans were overwhelmed with joy on Sunday as France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the World Cup in a pulsating final in Moscow, sparking ecstatic scenes of celebration from Paris to Marseille, from Lyon to Lille.
In the capital, where 90,000 people watched the match on vast TV screens next to the Eiffel tower, there were choruses of the Marseillaise and hundreds of thousands of red, white and blue flags fluttering on the breeze.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The boom of fireworks and firecrackers filled the air, while drivers honked their horns incessantly to celebrate France's second world title after their triumph on home soil in 1998.
A chorus of "We are the champions, We are the champions" rang out from the Sacre Coeur in the north of the city to the Sorbonne on the Left Bank.
Even before the final whistle, crowds streamed on to the Champs Elysees, the traditional gathering place for celebration.
"It's just astonishing what they've done," said Josh, who travelled from Brittany to Paris to watch the match. "Pogba, Mbappe, Grizou -- they're on top of the world," he said. "We're the champions of the world! It's phenomenal, just phenomenal."
More than 250,000 people were expected to descend on the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde, yet the atmosphere was warm.
"To get a second star after 20 years, it's just brilliant," said Tommy Hamon, 23, who was working a bar.
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