The 2010 World Cup lived on in Montevideo on Tuesday (July 13th), as the party and celebrations continued in Uruguay's capital, where a sea of fans decked in the sky-blue team colours gave a rapturous welcome to the national team as they received honours from the president - and gratitude from a country that hadn't reached a World Cup semi-final for 40 years.
Uruguay's fourth-place finish was good enough for tens of thousands to brave the bitter cold on Tuesday, and share the joy with heroes like Diego Forlan, the Uruguay striker who was awarded the 'Golden Ball' as the World Cup's best overall player.
President Jose 'Pepe' Mujica praised the players for bringing the whole country together, saying Uruguay has never been so socially and politically unified - Uruguay's best previous World Cup campaigns were back in 1930, the inaugural tournament, and 1950 when they were crowned world champions.
For a nation that has a population of around 3.3 million inhabitants, Uruguay is by far the smallest country to have won a World Cup final. In fact, 'La Celeste' (the Sky Blues) have been crowned champions of the world twice - back in 1930, the inaugural tournament, and 1950 - but the 2010 World Cup lived on in Montevideo on Tuesday (July 13th), as the party and celebrations continued in Uruguay's capital, where a sea of fans decked in the team colours gave a rapturous welcome to the national team.
They duly received honours from the president - and gratitude from a country that hadn't reached a World Cup semi-final for 40 years.
Uruguay's fourth-place finish was good enough for tens of thousands to brave the bitter cold on Tuesday, and share the joy with heroes like Diego Forlan, the Uruguay striker who was awarded the 'Golden Ball' as the World Cup's best overall player.
President Jose 'Pepe' Mujica praised the players for bringing the whole country together, saying Uruguay has never been so socially and politically unified. "We have never been so united, so close to each other. Regardless of social classes, above the different political choices. They have given us courage and youth. Thanks guys - on behalf of all the Uruguayan people."
Then the modest Forlan spoke - the prolific national hero who scored five goals in seven games in South Africa this summer. "The prize ( Golden Ball Award), the truth is that took me by surprise and the way my colleagues celebrated it, it surprised me even more. It is a prize that I won because of them, thanks to a very good group of people. The work of all the technicians and coaches, the work of everybody but not just now, it's the work of the past four years."
Then Forlan's fellow striker Sebastian Abreu hailed the impact of another forward - Luis Suarez - and THAT famous handball. "It was something spectacular that will remain in everybody's memory, it was criticised by those who do not understand football. But those who do understand football, they know that what Luis Suarez did is totally within the soccer rules."
Artistic licence there from Abreu - Suarez was standing on his own goalline when he handled a header from Ghana striker Dominic Adiyiah in the final seconds of extra time in their quarter-final.
Suarez was sent off for the offence and was then shown leaping for joy when Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, the final kick of the game, before Uruguay won four-two in the penalty shoot-out.
Diego Forlan is from a family of footballers: his dad represented Uruguay at the 1966 and 1974 FIFA World Cups, while his grandfather played for the Argentinian side Independiente.
