Madrid and Spain are gearing up for a night of celebration as they prepare to welcome back the newly-crowned World Champions tonight.

Vicente Del Bosque and his players, who were faced with a three-hour delay this morning, are now expected to land at Barajas airport at 2:47pm local time where they will be met by a huge banner bearing the words "Welcome to the happiest country. Thank you."

The players will then be whisked to a nearby hotel to rest before an official reception with the royal family and the president.

The celebrations with their multitude of fans will kick off at around 7pm with an open-top bus parade and more than a million people are expected to line the streets.

The parade will end approximately two hours later at the esplanade near the Puente del Rey where the party will continue until midnight.

It is there that the players will be able to celebrate with the fans, much like they did two years ago after lifting the European Championship trophy.

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