France booked its place in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Morocco, but the victory triggered both celebrations and clashes on the streets, with thousands of fans pouring out after the final whistle. While authorities had expected trouble mainly in Paris, scenes of chaos were also recorded in London, where a police officer was injured.
France secured its semi-final place with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
After the final whistle, thousands of fans took to the streets, French supporters celebrating the win and Moroccan fans expressing their disappointment at their team’s elimination.
Scenes of tension were recorded in several areas, with fires, blocked roads, vandalism, damage to cars and clashes.
Chaos in London after France’s win
Scenes of tension also broke out in London, where crowds of fans flooded the streets following France’s victory.
A Metropolitan Police officer was injured in west London minutes after France secured its place in the semi-finals, and had to be taken to hospital.
Footage from Edgware Road shows police in riot gear attempting to control the crowd that had gathered.
The footage shows the injured officer on the ground between two police vehicles, receiving first aid from paramedics, while lines of officers with shields form security cordons in the area.
France on alert with 20,000 police officers
French authorities had prepared for possible unrest following the match against Morocco, given the historic relationship between the two countries.
More than 20,000 police officers had been deployed across France, around 8,000 of them on the streets of Paris.
Despite fears of a repeat of the unrest that followed Paris Saint-Germain’s title win in May, the French capital remained largely under control, with fans filling the streets to celebrate.
According to a French security memo, authorities had been warned of a risk of widespread unrest following the match.
(information from protothema.gr)
