Berlin, Jun 17 (IANS): Country wide celebrations started right after Germany's impressive 4-0 win over Portugal in their FIFA World Cup Opener in Group G Monday.
Tens of thousands of German fans started celebrating in fan zones in major cities and paraded around in their cars, hooting their horns, reports Xinhua.
Bayern Munich forward Thomas Mueller stole all the headlines in the German media after scoring the first hat-trick of the 2014 World Cup finals.
"Three bangs from Mueller. Boys, you are the heroes", the mass-circulation Bild newspaper said in its headline.
1990 World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus said in a Bild interview: "A start like that can carry you to the title. It's like 1990. Such a win leaves you in mountain-high confidence. I am sure the German team can start plans for the next round after the group games. We won't lose to Ghana and the US."
"How powerful the German team has started this World Cup," wrote Munich-based daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
"The beginning of the World Cup tournament couldn't have been better. Unbelievable was the elementary power of that young and new German team."
Die Welt newspaper told its readers: "Mueller broke the Portuguese," and took a dig at the current Ballon d'Or winner: "Who is Cristiano Ronaldo?" Mueller, it said, "is again on route to become World Cup top-scorer as he did 2010 in South Africa."
Football magazine "kicker" said: "Germany has been waiting for a game like that for four years. The whole country has become football fans."
"While Germany stirring up worldwide attention, Portugal around the pale CR7 sank to the ground, similar to their neighbour Spain."
German striker Lukas Podolski sent a selfie on Twitter directly out of the German changing room showing German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a huge smile.
And 1954 World Cup winner Horst Eckel tweeted: "Congratulations boys. What a smashing game and impressive win."