A police officer was taken to hospital and four people were arrested after unrest followed Morocco’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
Crowds gathered on Edgware Road in central London after France defeated Morocco 2-0 in Thursday’s quarter-final in Foxborough.
Footage from the area showed fireworks and flares being set off as people filled the road and disrupted traffic. Objects were later thrown towards police officers as the atmosphere deteriorated.
Riot police were deployed to disperse the gathering and restore order during the early hours of Friday morning.
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Officer taken to hospital
According to Michael Howie’s report for The Standard, one Metropolitan Police officer suffered a head injury after apparently being struck by a glass bottle.
The officer was taken to hospital for treatment. Police said no other injuries had been reported.
Four people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder as officers responded to the disturbances.
The Metropolitan Police said: “One officer was taken to hospital with a head injury. It appears that he was struck by a glass bottle. No other injuries were reported.”
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“Officers remained at the scene and arrested four people on suspicion of violent disorder. By around 1am, the crowd had dispersed and the road had reopened.”
Police remained in the area after the crowd had left and began examining CCTV footage and videos posted on social media.
“We will not tolerate this kind of disorder on our streets or attacks on our officers,” the force added.
“Police will remain in the area throughout the night. We will also review CCTV and footage shared on social media to identify and bring those responsible to justice.”
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Fireworks and objects thrown at police
The gathering initially appeared to be a reaction to Morocco’s defeat, with supporters carrying flags, setting off pyrotechnics and climbing on street furniture.
However, the situation became more serious when bottles and other objects were reportedly thrown towards officers.
Police wearing protective equipment formed lines across Edgware Road as they attempted to move the crowd away from the carriageway.
The disruption continued for several hours before the road was reopened at approximately 1am.
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It was not immediately clear whether all four people arrested were Moroccan supporters, and police did not provide further information about their identities.
Paris celebrations remain largely calm
The scenes in London contrasted with the situation in Paris, where authorities had prepared an extensive security operation before the politically and emotionally charged quarter-final.
According to Europe 1’s report on the security plans, around 20,000 police officers and gendarmes were mobilised across France, including approximately 8,000 in Paris.
Drones were authorised for surveillance, while several streets and transport stations around expected gathering points were restricted.
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French intelligence services had warned that public gatherings, fireworks and possible disorder could occur regardless of the result.
Despite those concerns, the principal celebrations in Paris remained largely peaceful after goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé sent France into the semi-finals.
Crowds gathered around the Champs-Élysées and other central areas, but no disturbances on the scale feared before the match were immediately reported.
Dutch reports require caution
Reports also circulated claiming that serious unrest had broken out in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague after Morocco’s quarter-final defeat.
However, several of the descriptions closely resembled confirmed disturbances following Morocco’s earlier World Cup victories over the Netherlands and Canada.
After Morocco eliminated the Netherlands on penalties on June 30, police in The Hague were targeted with fireworks and bottles, while arrests were also made in Rotterdam.
Further disturbances followed Morocco’s victory over Canada on July 4, when riot police were deployed in several Dutch cities and 29 people were arrested in The Hague.
Those earlier incidents should not be presented as reactions to the defeat against France without separate confirmation from police or established Dutch news organisations.
Claims of widespread disorder in Brussels following the quarter-final also remained insufficiently verified.
The confirmed events following the France–Morocco match were therefore concentrated on Edgware Road, where investigators were continuing efforts to identify those responsible for attacking officers.
