Triple world champion Pele from Brazil, accompanied by German supermodel Claudia Schiffer, carried the trophy into the stadium before a sold-out crowd of 60,000 including German president Horst Koehler and Costa Rican counterpart Oscar Arias.

For the first time in the history of the event, every living member of past World Cup-winning teams was present, walking on to the pitch amid roaring applause.

“Finally it can start,” President Koehler said in his address. “Welcome to Germany. May we see lots of goals and fair play,” he said before declaring the tournament open.

Munich’s newly built stadium, completed last year at a cost of $430 million, was mostly covered in black, red and gold flags, the colours of the host nation’s flag as a local boys’ choir kicked off celebrations some 90 minutes before the start of the match.

“This is the most beautiful game in the world and I am here at the very start of it,” said German fan Klaus Breitmann from Cologne, draped in a German flag and wearing a black-red-gold wig. “This is the biggest party in the world and I am invited.”

About 7,000 noisy Costa Rican fans in the stands added even more spice to the celebrations.

“We are outnumbered but we have a bigger heart,” said Guillermo Salas, who paid $5,000 for an 18-day, three-match trip.

The Germans had initially planned to stage a large opening ceremony in Berlin on the day before the first game but concerns it could damage the pitch and low ticket sales forced them to scrap it and leave Munich to host a scaled-down opening ceremony.—Reuters