Leading figures from royalty, politics, culture and sport are all present at the UEFA EURO 2008™ final between Germany and Spain, emphasising the huge global appeal of the Vienna showpiece.

Extraordinary guest list
Heading the list of VIPs at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion are Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia and prime minister José Luis Zapatero, along with their German counterparts, president Horst Köhler and chancellor Angela Merkel. "It is a special day and the list of honorary guests is extraordinary," said Austrian Football Association president Friedrich Stickler.

Politics and music
Other prominent visitors include Austrian president Heinz Fischer, Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Swiss federal councillor Samuel Schmid. "The EURO was and is a festival of European integration. Switzerland and Austria were charming and successful hosts," said Gusenbauer. Present from the music world, meanwhile, are Placido Domingo and the artists behind the official UEFA EURO 2008™ songs, Shaggy and Enrique Iglesias, the latter performing Can You Hear Me? shortly before the teams took the field.

Celebrity count
The celebrity count also includes Hollywood actor Harrison Ford, former United States defence secretary Henry Kissinger, multiple Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher and FIFA President Joseph S Blatter. Two former German winning captains of the EURO, Jürgen Klinsmann and Franz Beckenbauer, are also in the stands at the Ernst-Happel Stadion, and Beckenbauer gave his verdict on this month's event when he said: "It has been a great tournament. Football has won many new friends. And the hosts were always open-hearted."