France beats Morocco 2-0, police in Brussels and Dutch cities brace for unrest after quarterfinal

Match result

France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinal on Thursday evening, booking a place in the semifinals against the winner of Spain versus Belgium. The match kicked off at 22:00 and ended around midnight, with French fans celebrating on the Champs-Élysées in Paris while Moroccan supporters took to the streets across Europe.

Brussels on high alert

Brussels authorities prepared for the match with a central police command and no-go zones for shared scooters. The six police zones operated under a single gold commander, a measure usually reserved for New Year's Eve. Metro stations Zwarte Vijvers and possibly Ossegem closed from 21:00. Providers Bolt and Dott removed scooters and bikes from areas including Zwarte Vijvers, Stalingrad, and Anderlechtsepoort, and banned their drivers from entering those zones after kick-off.

That would warn people who want to cause trouble where we are present.

Dutch cities see celebrations and clashes

In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, large crowds gathered after the final whistle, with fireworks, honking and some fires. Amsterdam police described the atmosphere during the match as "pleasant and festive", but a small group stayed behind, setting fires and throwing fireworks at officers. In Rotterdam, hundreds remained on 1e Middellandstraat after neighbourhood fathers urged them to leave; police were pelted with eggs. In The Hague's Schilderswijk, officers were targeted with glass bottles and anti-Semitic chants.

Riot police deployed

Mobile unit (ME) officers cleared streets in all three cities. In Amsterdam Nieuw-West, around 01:30, a dozen buses and dogs swept Tussen Meer after small rubbish fires and stone-throwing. In Rotterdam-West, about fifteen vans and a line of ME dispersed the crowd around the same time. The Hague saw ME charges at the Vaillantlaan and Hoefkade intersection after a police warning just after 01:00. Multiple arrests were reported, though exact numbers were not given.

Mayors warned before the match

Ahead of the game, the mayors of Arnhem and Nijmegen urged supporters to celebrate responsibly. Ahmed Marcouch of Arnhem said he had seen "things that are unacceptable: driving hard through Steenstraat or sticking heads out of car windows." He stressed that honking is "highly undesirable" and that enforcement would focus on excesses, including via licence plate fines. Nijmegen mayor Bruls called the previous weekend's situation "unacceptable" and said police would strictly enforce rules. In Nijmegen, about 30 fines had been issued for unnecessary honking, driving without a seatbelt and dangerous driving.

Let's keep it fun and respect the laws and regulations.