Germany World Cup heroes return to huge fan party

The plane with the players of German national soccer team arrives at Tegel airport in Berlin Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Germany’s World Cup-winning team has returned home from Brazil to celebrate the country’s fourth title with huge crowds of fans. The team’s Boeing 747 touched down at Berlin’s Tegel airport midmorning Tuesday after flying a lap of honor over the “fan mile” in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate. Words on plane read: Winner Plane and instead of Lufthansa, Fanhansa. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) The plane with the players of German national soccer team arrives at Tegel airport in Berlin Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Germany’s World Cup-winning team has returned home from Brazil to celebrate the country’s fourth title with huge crowds of fans. The team’s Boeing 747 touched down at Berlin’s Tegel airport midmorning Tuesday after flying a lap of honor over the “fan mile” in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate. Words on plane read: Winner Plane and instead of Lufthansa, Fanhansa. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

By Associated Press July 15, 2014 2 min read

BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s World Cup-winning team returned home Tuesday to celebrate the country’s fourth title with huge crowds of fans.

The team’s plane touched down at Berlin’s Tegel Airport midmorning after circling the “fan mile” in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate.

Captain Philipp Lahm carried the trophy off the aircraft to cheers and a chorus of “Football’s Coming Home” from fans gathered on the airport’s viewing terrace.

He was followed by midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, draped in a German flag and sporting a bandage under his right eye, the result of a cut in the 1-0 win over Argentina in the final on Sunday.

From the airport, the team set off for downtown Berlin in a bus painted with the years of Germany’s World Cup victories: The previous occasions were in 1954, 1974 and 1990.