Germany return to heroes' welcome

Joachim Low's squad touched down on Tuesday morning local time two days after being crowned world champions with a 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra-time.

The Boeing 747, rebranded 'Fanhansa' to commemorate Germany's fourth World Cup win, which flew them back from Rio de Janeiro took a detour over the Berlin fan mile at Brandenburg Gate before landing at Tegel airport.

A German flag was waved out of the cockpit as the plane taxied in from the runway and captain Philipp Lahm emerged with the World Cup trophy, which he raised just as he did in the Maracana after Mario Gotze had scored a dramatic winner.

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger followed Lahm down the steps of the plane and said: "We will only realise (what they have achieved) in the next few days."

The squad then boarded a bus into Berlin city centre, with thousands of fans lining the route and many more waiting to greet them at the fan mile.