Ugly scenes were witnessed on the streets of Brazil’s main cities last night following their 7-1 humiliation in the World Cup semi-finals at the hands of Germany.

There were reports of violence breaking out right after the game in Sao Paulo, with many buses being torched in the country’s biggest city.

At least one store selling electronics and household appliances was looted.

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One witness in Rio de Janeiro, Will Boocock, said: “I was in a bar just off Copacabana Beach and after 30 minutes – and a few goals – I would guess about 200 youths from the favelas came running off the beach and back to the favelas.

“Security were getting numerous reports from the local police advising them of locations of confirmed gunfire, these alerts were coming through very regularly. The biggest blessing was that, at half-time, the heavens opened and most people left the beach as the rain was torrential.”

The troubles will not prevent German chancellor Angela Merkel travelling to Rio de Janeiro to watch Germany attempt to win their fourth World Cup on Sunday.

German president Joachim Gauck’s office said both he and Merkel would travel to Rio for the final against the winner of last night’s match between Argentina and the Netherlands.

Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, congratulated the team on what he said was “certainly an evening of football history”.

“All our fingers are crossed, including the chancellor’s,” he told reporters in Berlin.

Sunday’s match will be Merkel’s second at this World Cup. The chancellor was in the stands for Germany’s opening match against Portugal last month, which Joachim Loew’s team won 4-0.

Merkel has frequently appeared at Germany matches since the country hosted the World Cup in 2006 and has become a regular visitor to the team’s dressing room.

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