As host of the most-watched sporting event on earth, South Africa set out to reinvent itself in the eyes of the world, casting off its reputation as a place defined by violent crime, poverty and AIDS. To a remarkable degree, it succeeded. But as the World Cup ended on Sunday, what most surprised South Africans was how much the monthlong sporting extravaganza had changed the way they see themselves.

“This World Cup brought out South Africa’s better angels,” said Shaun Johnson, a writer who leads a charitable foundation that Nelson Mandela helped establish. “In this country, so driven racially, it’s unbelievable how much this World Cup has brought us together.”

“This is a South Africa I don’t know,” he said. “The country became pleasantly alien to me.”

Before the World Cup started a month ago, the conversation here was focused less on the tournament’s potential spiritual benefits than on whether it made sense to lavish $5 billion on a giant party for the rest of the world when South Africa has such staggering social needs.

This debate over priorities continues, but for now optimists are talking about the short-term gains and long-term promise the hosting of the games allowed.