Celebrations in New Orleans as Saints defeat Indianapolis Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV

• Partygoers in New Orleans French Quarter celebrate their team's Superbowl victory

The New Orleans Saints had been expected to struggle against the Indianapolis Colts in the annual climax to the American football season.

But Saints corner Tracy Porter sealed a memorable victory when he interecepted a Colts pass and ran 74 yards for the touchdown which put the game beyond Indianapolis's reach.

The win sparked wild celebrations among players and fans in the stadium in Miami and also in the Gulf port, which has struggled to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Team owner Tom Benson said: "New Orleans is back and this shows the whole world we're back."

Saints' quarterback Drew Brees added: "We knew we had the entire city, and maybe the entire country behind us."

New Orleans was one of the worst affected areas by Katrina because it is below sea level and protected by levees.

The defences were unable to cope with the strength of the storm, and about 1,400 people drowned in the ensuing floods, with more than a million left homeless.

The Saints' home stadium, the Superdome, became a temporary refuge for thousands of inhabitants and a potent symbol of the city's ruin.

Since then, much of New Orleans has been rebuilt and hundreds of thousands of people have returned.

Veteran British rockers The Who provided the half-time entertainment at what was the 44th Super Bowl, drawing loud cheers with their performances of Pinball Wizard, Baba O'Reilly and Who Are You.