From Toronto to Twitter, Spanish fans around the world celebrate victory

Canada

Not a maple flag in sight as red and yellow filled the streets of Canada's major cities on Sunday following Spain's overtime victory against Holland in the 2010 World Cup finals.  While celebrations were reported in many of Canada's major cities, the most lively crowds were in Toronto where thousands of fans packed the city's financial district to watch the match on huge video displays.

Nearby, along the popular College Street, the final whistle prompted hundreds of fans to rush to the streets to sing, dance and jump aboard any vehicle that passed.

Spanish football fans celebrate on Toronto's College StreetFlickr user: wvs Celebrations in Toronto, CanadaFlickr user: wvs Fans in downtown Toronto erupt with joyFlickr user: wvs Spanish football fans celebrating in TorontoFlickr user: wvs World Cup fever among young and old alike in Toronto, CanadaFlickr user: wvs

United States

Football, or as it is known locally "soccer," is not usually a cause for street celebrations in the United States but Sunday marked a dramatic exception as thousands of Spanish football fans turned out to celebrate across the country.  From New York to San Francisco, Americans turned their attention from the typical summer sports ritual of baseball to take in the World Cup finals.  In California, pubs such as "Mad Dog in the Fog" were packed with mid-day crowds cheering along the Spaniards.  Elswhere, thousands of fans gathered in the city's government district to watch the match on huge TV screens.

While across the country, in New York City, Spanish fans roared on what's typically a calm Sunday afternoon on Columbus Circle along the city's Upper Westside.

Celebrating Spain's victory on New York's Columbus CircleFlickr user: jmoranmoya Spanish football fans celebrate under New York's massive skyscrapersFlickr user: jmoranmoya Joy in New York City following Spain's World Cup victoryFlickr user: jmoranmoya The Spanish rises over New York's Columbus CircleFlickr user: jmoranmoya Spanish football fans celebrate on the streets of New York CityFlickr user: jmoranmoya

Norway

In Scandinavia, huge crowds turned out under a late-night summer sunset to watch the Spanish victory. Thousands of fans watched the game in central Oslo on Sunday and burst into cheers following Spain's overtime goal.

Twitter

Twitter #ESP

While many celebrated outdoors and in bars around the world, hundreds of thousands of other Spanish supporters rushed online to express their excitement about being the new World Cup champions. Social networking services like Facebook, You Tube, and most notably, Twitter were flooded with celebratory messages. 

On Twitter, there are a number of lively discussions going on among users from around the world:

• Follow the main World Cup Twitter conversation at #worldcup
• Spanish fans are gathering at #ESP
• Dutch fans are gathering at #NED