Party all night: Uruguay welcomes champions home

It was an all-night party in Uruguay as the country’s football squad returned home after winning the Copa America.

About 60,000 fans gathered in the historic Centenario stadium at 3 a.m. Monday to welcome the players, and thousands more crowded the team bus as it drove in from the airport.

Star forward Diego Forlan said he couldn’t wait to celebrate after their 3-0 victory over Paraguay on Sunday in Buenos Aires.

“They deserve this for all the suffering the country has lived through in recent years,” said Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, who was voted the tournament’s best player.

Uruguay last won the Copa in 1995. Now it has a record 15 titles, one more than Argentina.

Centenario stadium opened its doors at 9 p.m. to crowds that waited for hours to see their heroes take a victory lap. Wearing painted faces and sky blue wigs, they were delirous when the team finally showed up.