Germany kick-off in style

German and Costa Rican colours dominated the central Marienplatz Square, which thumped with festive football tunes, as tourists and locals tucked into Bavarian wurst and beer under a cloudless sky.

8220;It is a bit like Christmas for a child,8221; said Bavarian Interior Ministry spokesman Rainer Riedl.

8220;The preparations have run for five years. Now the tree has been decorated, the table set, and we are just waiting for the presents, for this wonderful event to start.8221;

Still, the noise of helicopters overhead and formidable police presence on the streets of Munich were a reminder of the security concerns surrounding the tournament, which is expected to attract 1.5 million foreign visitors.

Many still associate the city with the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian guerrillas at the 1972 Olympic Games and German police have put a massive security net in place to ensure a smooth start to the world8217;s most-watched sporting event.

NATO AWACS radar aircraft will patrol the skies throughout the tournament and 250,000 police are on duty around the country. A comprehensive intelligence-sharing network has been set up with a 24-hour unit in Berlin as its nerve centre.

8220;Everyone can come, shout until they lose their voices, have a great time and feel at home with friends but the message to any hooligan or trouble maker is clear: security will function and we are not here to joke around,8221; Riedl said.

8211;Annika Breidthardt