Spain celebrates historic Euro win over Italy

Spain's football team received a heroes' welcome when they returned home from Euro 2012, their third consecutive international title after Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

An open-top double-decker bus ferried the team like a small boat picking its way through a vast ocean of hundreds of thousands of adoring Spaniards waving flags, cheering and dancing to thumping rock music.

Helicopters hovering above filmed a crowd that seemed to carpet the entire heart of the capital to rejoice in Spain's historic 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

At the climax of the party, the players basked in glory in the central Plaza de Cibeles square, where Queen's "We are the Champions" blared from loudspeakers.

See more pictures in the photo gallery above or read more about the celebrations.