A world-class welcome for Spain's champions

MADRID, Spain - Spain's soccer team returned home to a jubilant nation and a huge fiesta Monday after winning the World Cup, finally giving Spaniards a break from months of economic gloom, political squabbling, and nationalist regions fighting for greater autonomy from the central government.

In downtown Madrid's Royal Palace - normally used only for major state affairs - the team had drinks and chatted with King Juan Carlos. The monarch hugged many of the players and gave coach Vicente del Bosque friendly punches on the cheek and chest.

"You are an example of sportsmanship, nobility, good play and teamwork," the king said.

Team members then traveled to the Moncloa palace government headquarters on the capital's outskirts, where they were greeted by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, several ministers, and hundreds of ecstatic children.

"They won the cup, but it belongs to all Spaniards," shouted a delighted Zapatero, himself a keen Barcelona fan.

Next came an open-air bus ride through Madrid's historic center, the epicenter of the celebration party for the second day in a row.

Tens of thousands of people, most wearing the red and yellow national colors, lined the three-mile route as the bus crawled along with the players waving and showing off the trophy.

At the route's end, close to the Manzanares River, organizers sprayed water onto waiting crowds putting up with 96-degree evening heat.

There were striking examples of cheering for Spain from unlikely places: The well-off Catalonia region that has long sought greater autonomy, and the separatist Basque region, where anything pro-Spain is often shunned.

Several hundred thousand fans were expected to line Madrid's streets to celebrate Spain's first World Cup title after the team beat the Netherlands, 1-0, on Sunday in extra time.

Netherlands' welcome home. Two fighter jets, one of them orange, escorted the Netherlands' team through Dutch airspace a day after the loss in the final.

The staff at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport formed an honor guard when the plane touched down. The team was whisked by bus to a hotel on the North Sea coast.

A series of welcome-home events await Tuesday, including a meeting with Queen Beatrix at her palace in the Hague in the morning followed by a boat tour through Amsterdam's canals and a party in the city's Museum Square.

The events may help both players and fans shake off the country's third loss in a World Cup final.

FIFA president unhappy. Players from the Netherlands and Spain should have behaved better during the final, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.

"It was not exactly what we have, or what I have, expected for fair play on the field of play in the final," Blatter said at a news conference to mark the end of the tournament.

English referee Howard Webb showed 14 yellow cards - a record for a World Cup final - and one red for Dutch defender John Heitinga as Spain won.

Blatter refused to blame the match officials for their handling of an often bad-tempered match, which was watched by an estimated global television audience of 700 million.

"It is not up to me to judge the performance of the officials in match control," Blatter said. "I can only say it was a very hard task that the refereeing trio had on the field of play.

"They were not helped in this task, I can tell you that."

The Netherlands team was widely criticized for using physical tactics to stop Spain's rhythmic passing style.

Eight Dutch players were shown yellow cards, with Heitinga sent off after Webb - a former policeman - showed him a second yellow in extra time when the score was still 0-0.

FIFA is expected to open a disciplinary case against the Dutch team.