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They may not have managed to win the trophy, but Brazil's World Cup has been declared a success after attracting 70 per cent more visitors than expected.

A record 1.35 million visitors flocked to the South American country during the competition, from a total of 203 different countries.

Brazil had been expecting just 600,000 visitors during the run-up to the World Cup and for the competition itself.

Champions: Germany won the World Cup after beating Argentina 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rion de Janeiro - an event watched by 3.6 billion people

World champions: Germany fans were in a frenzy when the European team finally clinched the final against Brazil

But instead a daily average of 485,000 passengers passed through 21 airports in the 12 host cities - a higher number than is normally recorded during Carnival.

According to data from the Brazilian Forum of Hotel Operators, hotel occupancy was also at an all-time high. Statistics showed that 108,000 new daily bookings were registered during match days and the day before the games.

An it wasn't just tourists who put Brazil on the map, the World Cup final was also the most talked about event in Facebook history.

Getting ready to celebrate: Football fans watch the final World Cup match between Argentina and Germany at Maracana Stadium

The last laugh? Brazil may not have won the World Cup, but it has banked £9billion from the event, according to the latest statistics

During the whole competition, the  social networking site recorded more than three billion interactions about the World Cup.

In total, around 3.6 billion people around the world watched the final, staged at Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã stadium.

And the five other games played at the same Rio stadium were the best-attended throughout the tournament.

It is estimated the World Cup has contributed a total of £9 billion to the Brazilian economy, according to research from the Institute of Economic Research Foundation (FIPE) commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism.

Going off with a bang: Despite initial fears, the World Cup was declared an overall success for foreign visitors

Brazil's minister for sport Luis Fernandes said: 'The main legacy was how we learned to combine an organised environment with an atmosphere of celebration. In order to do this, we had to guarantee the quality of necessary services, which came about through a long and thorough process of cooperation.

'This is the key that has allowed us, in the final evaluation, from an operational point of view, to say that the Cup was a complete success.'

Vicente Neto, president of Embratur, added: 'The latest tourism figures verify how much of a success the 2014 FIFA World Cup has been for Brazil.

'The tournament provided a fantastic platform to showcase the country's diversity and the welcoming nature of our people. We are determined to continue this legacy as we look ahead to Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.'