Madrid - Spain's 2-1 win over Sweden on Saturday has caused an outbreak of "Red Fever" across the country. The dramatic late win in Innsbruck to put Spain into the quarter-finals was enjoyed by more than one in four Spaniards, many of them watching on giant screens in open-air parties held in the big cities.
The biggest party of all was held in Madrid's Plaza de Colon, where around 10,000 fans warmed up for the game with the music of Dover - then enjoyed Spain's last-gasp victory.
Similar open-air parties were held in Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia - and close to the Zaragoza International Exhibition, which opened its gates to the world on Saturday morning.
Most fans at these big-screen parties were wearing either replica Spain shirts or a similar red garment.
Sales of "La Seleccion" replica shirts have increased dramatically since Spain started their Euro 2008 campaign with a 4-1 thrashing of Russia last Tuesday.
The defeat of Sweden - with an injury-time winner from tournament top scorer David Villa - leaves Luis Aragones' young team unassailably atop of Group D with six points from two games.
It means they will avoid Group C winners Netherlands but will face either world champions Italy, France or Romania.
Television channel Cuatro gave special coverage to the party in Madrid's Plaza de Colon, commenting that "rarely before has Spain been so excited by its national team" and that Villa's winning goal "was celebrated by a collective shout of joy across the entire country."
Former Spain goalkeeper Julen Lopetegui, one of Cuatro's analysts, tried to keep Spaniards' feet on the ground by saying that "there is still a long way to go...So many times in the past our expectatation has turned into disappointment."
Indeed it has.
Two years ago Spain made a flying start at the 2006 World Cup finals and "Red Fever" swept across the country as never before.
However, a round of 16 defeat against more experienced France quickly brought the Spanish fans down to earth with a bang.
The sentiment across Spain at the moment, though, is to enjoy the Euro 2008 party while it lasts - without worrying too much about when it might end.
Cuatro interviewed several fans, most of them young, in the Plaza de Colon.
The one who seemed to best represent the "vox populi" was student Luis Gomez, who - between swigs of beer - gasped that "I'm not sure that Spain will win the tournament, but my friends and I are going to have a good time until they are knocked out."
