Spaniards blasted off fireworks and jumped for joy after their soccer team won the European Championship on Sunday night, giving the country a burst of national pride and temporary relief from the crushing economic woes that have engulfed the nation.

Tens of thousands gathered in central Madrid to watch their team beat Italy 4-0 and shout out "Gol!" more times than they thought possible. Even better for Spain, the country's team became the first ever to win a Euro, then a World Cup and then another Euro.

Spain needed "this win to counteract the suffering caused by the crisis, which seems endless," a smiling Antonio Ferrillo said in downtown Madrid.

The country has the highest unemployment rate in the 17-nation eurozone, is immersed in a deepening recession and recently asked for a bailout to prop up banks that could go broke after a decade-long property boom crashed.

After the triumph, cars drove by with passengers waving the country's red and yellow flag and yelling "Espana!, Espana!" and "I am Spanish! I am Spanish!"