Madrid welcomed the Spanish football team home on Monday after their victory at Euro 2012.
King Juan Carlos received the team at Zarzuela Palace before they began a parade in an open-top bus.
The parade ended in a victory rally in the central Plaza de Cibeles.
The squad's 4-0 victory over Italy in Kiev on Sunday made them the first team to win three successive major international tournaments.
"Each of you is a good player, but as a team you are formidable," King Juan Carlos said.
"You know how to play together, how to combine your own skills with those of your teammates," he added.
Coach Vicente del Bosque hailed Spain's "great generation of footballers".
La Roja retained the title they first won in Vienna four years ago. The team also won the World Cup title in South Africa in 2010.
Defender Gerard Pique said La Roja are hungry for even more success.
The BBC says that for many in Spain, the victory provided welcome relief from the country's financial crisis.
