Rooney slotted home the only goal of a game which United dominated, even after Nemanja Vidic had been sent off four minutes into the second half for an elbow on Claudio Bieler.

Rooney ensured the Red Devils got the reward they deserved with a clinical strike from Cristiano Ronaldo's pass 16 minutes from time.

Rooney told Five: "It's fantastic. It's a great achievement by us. We are really delighted and proud that we are the world champions."

Rooney admitted it was a tough game, especially after Vidic's sending off.

But he added: "To score the winning goal is a great feeling for myself."

United captain Rio Ferdinand said: "Now we can say we are the best team in the world.

"We knew they could create problems but I think today we kept them down to a minimum of chances."