Euro 2024 hosts Germany and their fans came into the tournament not knowing exactly how things would pan out after years of woe and recent underwhelming friendlies.
But after a 5-1 thrashing of Scotland in Friday's opener, the nation will now think they can lift the trophy on July 14 and go one better than the "summer fairytale" of 2006.
That was the last time Germany hosted a major men's football tournament, the World Cup, when the sunny streets were packed with exultant fans and Germans felt safe to wave national flags again.
Ask most non-football fans in the country who won the 2006 World Cup and they will say Germany. The fact they lost the semi-final to eventual winners Italy gets lost in the mists of time and joyful memories.
Though the weather so far has not matched the scorching summer of 2006, the football on display from Julian Nagelsmann's team certainly shone.
A blistering start had the modest Scots immediately on the back foot and the risk of playing Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala as two numbers 10 soon proved to be a master-stroke as they both scored inside 19 minutes.
Man-of-the-match Musiala, who tied Scotland's defence in knots with his dribbling, told reporters: "Home European Championship, first game, we wanted to get off to a good start. I'm just happy that we scored so many goals. We can go into the next games with confidence."
Scotland were reduced to 10 men just before half-time after a video review decided Ryan Porteous' studs-up challenge on Ilkay Gündogan's ankle in the box deserved a double punishment. With the captain still limping around, Kai Havertz did the honours from the spot.
The fact substitutes Niclas Füllkrug and Emre Can both then scored, with the latter only arriving at the camp on Wednesday as a late call-up, also showed Germany have good strength in depth.
Can told ZDF: "It's a great feeling and a crazy story, that's why we love football. I was still on holiday two days ago, then I got the call on Wednesday. I am so grateful."
Antonio Rüdiger's late own goal took none of the gloss off a superb show in Munich and one of the best opening performances by a host nation ever.
But cautious pundits quickly pointed out Germany were playing with an extra man for the second half and against one of the weakest sides in the tournament.
France and England may still be the bookmakers' favourites, but Germany will nevertheless receive a flurry of bets in the coming days - especially if they can follow up the 5-1 win with victories over Hungary on Wednesday and Switzerland on June 23.
"A perfect start for Germany," 2014 world champion Bastian Schweinsteiger wrote on X. "Now we have to take the euphoria into the upcoming games."
Michael Ballack, part of the 2006 team, added on Magenta: "It was a really convincing performance from the first to the last minute."
After group-stage exits in the last two World Cups and a limp last-16 defeat to England in the last Euros, Germany needed a fast start.
They got it and another summer fairytale could now be on the cards.
