Violent Riots Erupt Across Europe After Morocco's World Cup Elimination | WATCH

France beat Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinal, ending the Atlas Lions' tournament for the second consecutive World Cup and denying Morocco a shot at becoming the first African nation to reach a semifinal. Hundreds of Morocco supporters had gathered on London's Edgware Road, home to a large Middle Eastern and North African community, to watch the match. When the final whistle confirmed the defeat, the mood curdled quickly. Riot police were called in as fans lit flares and fireworks, climbed on traffic lights and parked cars, and blocked traffic through the area. Video circulating online showed one police officer down on the pavement as paramedics rushed to treat him; the Metropolitan Police said it would not tolerate disorder or attacks on its officers, though it had not disclosed the extent of his injuries by Friday morning.

The unrest was not confined to London. In Amsterdam, riot police were pelted with fireworks, glass, and chairs as police and groups of young people played what one Dutch outlet described as a cat and mouse game late into the night. In Brussels, large crowds of Morocco supporters lit flares in a central square while chanting in support of the Palestinian cause. In Rotterdam, fans marched through the streets and threw eggs at police despite appeals from community figures to disperse.

The most troubling scenes came in The Hague, where Moroccan fans were reported to have chanted an antisemitic slur targeting Jews as part of the unrest, according to footage reviewed from the disturbances. The chant, alongside the broader spread of Palestinian flags and slogans across the rioting cities, reflects how Israel and Jewish identity have become recurring flashpoints at this year's World Cup, even in matches with no direct connection to the region.

Paris, by contrast, remained more calm than expected despite fears that a Morocco-France quarterfinal, a fixture with a long history of tension between the two countries' diaspora communities, could trigger unrest similar to the disorder that followed Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League win over Arsenal in May. French authorities had deployed roughly twenty thousand police officers across the capital and other major cities in anticipation of trouble, but officials reported no major incidents there.

Morocco's exit leaves no African nation remaining in the tournament, being staged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico this year. France, chasing a third consecutive World Cup final, advances to a Bastille Day semifinal against the winner of Spain and Belgium at Dallas Stadium on July 14, with the final scheduled for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Police in London and the Netherlands have not yet announced arrest figures from Thursday night's disturbances, and authorities in several cities said they were reviewing security arrangements ahead of the tournament's remaining matches.