‘I’m crying. Thank you Russia!’ – Locals delirious after stunning World Cup win against Spain

Millions of Russians have been expressing their delight and pride after their team pulled off a stunning win against Spain in Moscow to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev was the hero as he saved two spot-kicks to hand Russia a 4-3 win on penalties after the scores had finished level at 1-1 after extra-time.

Stanislav Cherchesov’s team went into the game as heavy underdogs against a Spanish team boasting some of the world’s best players.

READ MORE: Russia 4-3 Spain (pens) - Heroic hosts snatch improbable shootout victory to stun Spain in Moscow

However, in front of raucous home support and 78,000 fans at Luzhniki Stadium, Russia pulled off one of their greatest-ever wins to send the crowd and millions around Russia into delirium.

The national team account captured the mood perfectly with a series of pictures in a tweet which read: “We did it for our country! We did it for you!! Thank you for your support!!”  

The account also posted a picture of 22-year-old midfielder Aleksandr Golovin – who stepped up to score a penalty in the shootout – with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

Fans tweeted their appreciation for the heroics of the team, with one person tweeing: “I’m simply crying. Thank you Sbornaya!” – using the nickname of the team.

Tweets from around the world also registered shock at the result.

Others had special praise for goalkeeping hero Akinfeev, whose two penalty shootout saves clinched victory for Russia.

Many Russians simply tweeted: "Akinfeev is a football God" or "Akinfeev is God."