Euro 2024 started on Friday with a short opening ceremony which also paid tribute to football icon franz Beckenbauer ahead of the first game between hosts Germany and Scotland.
Dancers is the colours of the 24 participating teams performed to the official tournament song Fire performed by singer Leony in front of a full house of 66,000 in Munich's arena led by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
At the end Beckenbauer's widow, Heidi, carried the trophy to be awarded after the July 14 final into the Munich stadium and then blew a kiss into the night sky.
Beckenbauer, who died in January at age 78, won Euro 1972 and the 1974 World Cup as a player and the 1990 World Cup as a coach.
Heidi Beckenbauer was accompanied by Jürgen Klinsmann and Bernard Dietz, the captain's of the other German winning Euro teams in 1996 ad 1980, respectively.
Tournament director Philipp Lahm, who captained Germany to their last big title at the 2014 World Cup, told broadcasters ZDF that the Euros "will bring people together.
He said people need "more fun and joy and optimism" amid "challenges and wars in the world ... We must also come together and party. I am looking forward to the next weeks."
