New York City (NYC) honored the World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in lower Manhattan Friday, making the history. The city celebrates with ticker-tape parade, following which the women’s world cup winners were honored amid 3,500 people at city hall ceremony.

Thousands salute the champions and Mayor Bill de Blasio gave each member of the team a key to the city. After winning the World Cup, the United States has returned to the top of the FIFA women’s rankings. The team beat Japan 5-2 in Sunday’s final in Vancouver. For the first time in 16 years, they collected the top prize in women’s soccer.

“You had the strength, you had the grit, you had the speed to make it to the championship,” de Blasio said. “You had the determination, the team work, the heart to become champions and examples to us all.”

Many wearing red, white and blue, the parade-goers started gathering at 3:30 a.m. along the Canyon of Heroes, a stretch of Broadway. At around 11 a.m., the crowd was as much as 10 deep along the route. Chants of “USA! USA!” were high-pitched.

All 23 players from the team were riding on four of 12 floats. None of them are from New York City, though four hail from nearby New Jersey. One of the floats was carrying the World Cup trophy, along with Lloyd, and de Blasio. Cuomo was on a separate float.

-Sumana