Olympic Opening Ceremony 2016: Twitter Reacts to Celebration in Rio

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games were ushered in Friday night with the opening ceremony at the historic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

As the athletes competing in the Games and the hallowed Olympic torch were welcomed with theatrics, the world watched with phones, computers and social media on hand.

But first fans were treated to a pre-show routine that kept the growing crowds entertained, though Yahoo Sports was indifferent about one of the performers:

When the show put together by Brazilian-born movie director Fernando Meirelles began, it left many in awe as the headlines and questions that plagued the country leading up to the Games evaporated for just a moment:

Meirelles took viewers on a visual journey through Brazil's history, including the settling of its rain forests and arrival of Portuguese influence.

The effects made Charlotte Hornets and France guard Nicolas Batum's jaw drop:

Brazil even claimed it was the originator of human flight as a makeshift plane buzzed around the Maracana Stadium.

SB Nation's Tom Lorenzo watched on:

However, it had viewers such as The Cauldron's Julie DiCaro wondering if they had accidentally changed the channel:

For Americans watching at home, not only did they have to deal with a tape delay but also an abundance of early commercials, much to the dismay of USA Today's Jeff Gluck and The Ringer:

But everyone had an opportunity to see the cameo from Brazil's most famous supermodel, Gisele Bundchen, as she walked across the venue.

Her appearance delighted What's Trending:

It didn't impress comedian David Schneider, though:

After the visual history lesson, the stars of the Olympics headed into the Maracana dressed to the nines. 

Swimmer, 18-time gold medalist and flag bearer Michael Phelps led Team USA with a one-of-a-kind jacket, as the U.S. Olympic team showed:

The Olympics showed Team USA's entrance:

As the largest delegation of over 500 athletes entered, Bleacher Report was ready for action:

"

LET’S GOOO! #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Wddd6IWef7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 6, 2016"

Phelps' mother, on the other hand, took a moment to express how proud she was of her son:

The ceremony gave the athletes an opportunity to interact, including some of the lesser-known representatives getting a chance to meet the biggest names in sports. 

American discus thrower Whitney Ashley hit a high when she met tennis star Serena Williams:

Basketball star Carmelo Anthony's interactions with fans within Team USA fueled him, as NBC's Nick Zaccardi shared:

Compared to other countries, though, the United States' attire was tame, as the Olympics showed:

It even led to some trash talking, as a pair of BuzzFeed affiliates, one from Canada and another from Australia, went at it on Twitter:

Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua decided that a shirt was optional as he strolled into the Maracana topless, much to the delight of many but to the chagrin of Russian sportswriter Slava Malamud:

Team Refugees didn't have a country to compete for. For these competitors, mostly from war-torn nations, getting to Rio was a huge achievement, and U.S. President Barack Obama took notice:

Syria is one of the nations that has experienced unrest lately. Former University of Texas athletic director Steve Patterson noticed the Syrians were being welcomed by the host nation:

With all of the athletes herded into the venue, the Olympic torch arrived, and Brazilian distance runner Vanderlei de Lima lit the cauldron, as BBC Sport shared:

As a replacement for Pele, who was unable to attend the ceremony, De Lima didn't impress ESPN.com's Darren Rovell:

Regardless of who lit the torch, the 2016 Summer Olympics have finally begun, and athletes from all corners of the globe will have an opportunity to compete on one of the grandest stages in all of sports.