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Jubilant supporters converged on the city centre to reinforce the faithful handful who had been there since Wednesday night's epic injury time victory over Bayern Munich.
Along the team's seven miles parade route on an open-topped bus, thousands upon thousands of red-shirted fans sang terrace anthems above an orchestra of whistles and klaxons.
A handful of amused businessmen and women struggled through the throng - others better prepared swigged bottles of beer from office windows or waved scarves from high-rise balconies.
Rows of baton-wielding police seemed unsure whether to hold the crowd back or join in the party. Several lost their uniform caps and a couple briefly sported felt top hats in red and white team colours.
A little blonde girl in a red dress, face crumpled with the effort, blew a whistle with all her might, perched on the shoulders of her shirtless father as he chanted United...United...pint in hand.
Across the street six schoolboys soaked up the atmosphere on top of a bus shelter waving three silver trophy-shaped balloons.
Further down the road another bus shelter collapsed under the weight of three fully-grown supporters trying to dance on its roof arm in arm.
The bus carrying the United squad was preceded by ten minutes of stupendous roaring from the crowd. The European Cup was perched on the front above the route number plate of the vehicle which showed 2-1, the result of the final.
The squad, wearing dark blazers, held their fists in the air as armfuls of office paper fluttered down from windows high above.
Players and manager Alex Ferguson took turns holding the cup - departing goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel seemed reluctant to release it.
The team went on to join 17,500
fans at a ticket-only party in an indoor arena in central Manchester.
The vast crowd left outside looked
set to see in the dawn in recognition of United's first European Cup victory
for 31 years
The team, who snatched victory literally from the jaws of defeat when they scored twice in injury-time to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in Barcelona, were greeted by hundreds of thousands of cheering fans as they paraded through the city in an open-top bus.
Men, women and children packed the streets and waved banners, flags and balloons for hours as they waited for a glimpse of their heroes, whose win came on the day that their former legendary boss Sir Matt Busby would have celebrated his 90th birthday.
Teddy Sheringham, who had looked less than top class until he scored the equaliser, was joined by United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, who was a member of United's previous European Cup winning side in 1968, at the front of the bus as it made its way through crowds of people on its seven-mile trip into Manchester's city centre.
Last night's other scorer Norwegian international Ole Gunnar Solskjaer smiled and waved from the back of the bus to screaming fans.
Crowds let out a roar as they caught a glimpse of manager Alex Ferguson and they had even made street signs christening one road, near the club's Old Trafford ground, Sir Alex Ferguson's Way.
The players and officials displayed the Premiership trophy, the FA Cup and the European Champions League Cup, the first time an English club has won all three in the same season.
Thousands of fans walked behind the bus while others started running, as soon as the balloon-covered bus went by, to try to catch a second glimpse of their heroes.
The bus parade took the team past their Old Trafford stadium and onto a party for 17,500 fans at an indoor Arena.
"This is really exciting. I watched the match yesterday and I came along to see the cup. This is an historic moment," 15-year-old student Chris Davis said.
David Lark brought his excited seven-year-old son Ben to see the team.
"I was really pleased that I got to see Schmeichel for the last time. I want to be a goalkeeper for Manchester United when I grow up," Ben said.
"They've made history. I've been a supporter since I was 14 and it's been great to see them parade through the city.
"They've earned themselves immortality and I would have come to see them even if they hadn't won last night's game," 64-year-old Brian Jay said.
By the time the bus neared the city centre the route of the parade along the shopping street of Deansgate was packed with an estimated 90,000 fans.
So many red-shirted supporters were waiting to welcome the team that police appealed for fans to stay away from the city centre.
Along the route fans climbed lamp-posts and any available buildings to get a better view of their heroes on the bus with its number board reading 2-1.
The rest of the city centre, which had been packed with celebrating supporters, suddenly became empty as the fans thronged towards the route of the victory procession.
Earlier the squad had briefly had to come back down to earth when they arrived home by plane from Barcelona.
Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who was playing his last game for United, was first to emerge from the aircraft at Manchester airport, brandishing the huge trophy above his head
