British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke for many when he said that the tournament had "exceeded all expectations" and helped Germany change its image abroad for the better.

"The old clichés have been replaced by a new, positive and more fair image of Germany," Blair said in a column for the Bild am Sonntag tabloid.

In the United States, Americans called and wrote the German Embassy to convey their thanks, with one soccer fan from New York saying: "Germany should be very proud of the amazing show it put on for the rest of the world."

All told, an estimated two million foreign visitors traveled to Germany during the month-long soccer extravaganza with matches in 12 cities including Berlin, Dortmund, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.

Nine in ten would recommend Germany as a tourist destination, according to a survey by Germany’s DZT tourism board, while more than 93% said that they felt welcome in Germany — indisputable proof that the tournament lived up to its motto: "A time to make friends."

"All the feedback we’ve had from our 30 representative offices around the world has been positive and enthusiastic too," tourist board chief executive Petra Hedorfer said in a statement. "There is tremendous enthusiasm for ‘Destination Germany’ all over the world."

Chancellor Angela Merkel meanwhile thanked Germans for their "incredible enthusiasm and hospitality" and said that ordinary citizens had been their country’s best ambassadors.