ITALY are celebrating as champions of the world today for the first time since 1982, defeating France in Berlin. Fabio Grosso was given the honour of sealing the win, slamming home the deciding penalty in a shoot-out that followed the sensational dismissal of Zinedine Zidane.

Shown the red card for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi, Zidane was absent as France suffered the agony of losing the World Cup to the lottery of penalties thanks to David Trezuguet's miss, and Fabio Cannavaro lifted the gold trophy for Italy on his 100th appearance.

For the winners, it was finally a chance to put their loss the same way to Brazil in the 1994 final behind them, and their joyful team celebrated in exhausted triumph.

For Zidane it was a bitter end to a legendary career, his hopes of a second winner's medal disappearing into the Berlin night sky after the shocking assault on Materazzi.

What made it all the more ironic was that Zidane had scored first for France only for Materazzi to head Italys equaliser in a game of drama to finish the tournament.

Italy's triumph brought to an end a month of tears, triumph and glory.

Olympiastadium had earlier erupted as 72,000 fans cheered their team onto the ground, as the rest of the world watched in pubs, clubs, on big outdoor screens or in their own homes.

Italy and France may be neighbouring countries but they are very much European rivals.

Shakira and 400 performers helped warm up the crowd at the event's closing ceremony, the Colombian songstress shaking her hips on stage joined by local musicians and dancers.

Italian tenor Placido Domingo kept fans entertained at halftime.

But the fans had come to see the world's best soccer - and they weren't disappointed.

Just two minutes into the match, star Frenchman Thierry Henry collided with Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and was taken off field for treatment.

Despite appearing dazed, he quickly rejoined the game after treatment and then the tackles began to fly in.

It took just seven minutes for the first score to register, as French captain Zinedine Zidane put France ahead with a penalty.

Germany's World Cup has been hailed around the world as an outstanding success, breaking viewing records with thirty-two billion people in 207 different countries tuning in - making it the most watched sporting event in history.

World dignitaries were in abundance, with former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, there alongside French president Jacques Chirac.

Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, German president Horst Koehler and German chancellor Angela Merkel stood side-by-side, with United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan another familiar face in the crowd.

There was no Victoria "Posh" Beckham in the stands but there was still a touch of WAG (Wives and Girlfriends) glam, with Claire Henry, better known as the model Nicole Merry, the English wife of Thierry Henry, on hand to cheer her man.

In a break from tradition, the winner of the Golden Ball, for the most outstanding player of the World Cup, won't be announced until later today.

Sources, - Google.com