Morocco fans celebrate World Cup quarterfinal berth; police use water cannon in The Hague

Match result

Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in Houston on Saturday evening, securing a place in the World Cup quarterfinals. The Atlas Lions, coached by Mohamed Ouahbi, had previously eliminated the Netherlands on penalties in the round of 32. The win made Morocco the first team to reach the last eight of the 2026 tournament.

Celebrations across the Netherlands and Brussels

Immediately after the final whistle, supporters poured into the streets in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Den Bosch, Apeldoorn, Enschede, and Amersfoort. In Brussels, hundreds gathered in Molenbeek and Anderlecht, with cars honking and Moroccan flags waving. In Eindhoven, the atmosphere remained good-natured, with fans posing for photos with police officers. In Apeldoorn, the Oranjerotonde, a roundabout traditionally associated with Dutch national team celebrations, was taken over by Morocco supporters.

Disturbances and police response

In several cities, the festivities turned unruly. In The Hague's Schilderswijk district, where more than a thousand people had gathered, the mood shifted later in the evening. Mayor Jan van Zanen issued an emergency order shortly after 23:00, and riot police used a water cannon with a hard jet to disperse the crowd. Two arrests were made, including a man wearing a Spider-Man mask. In Rotterdam, riot police intervened at the West-Kruiskade and 1e Middellandstraat after a group blocked an emergency route. Officers were pelted with eggs, fireworks, and glass; a Molotov cocktail was confiscated. In Utrecht, the ME cleared the Kanaalstraat in the Lombok neighbourhood around 23:00. A police spokesperson said that while some areas were tense, the vast majority of the crowd was simply celebrating.

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Traffic incident in Ede

Around 21:45, celebrating supporters caused a serious collision under a viaduct on the Keesomstraat in Ede. At least four cars were involved, including a service and safety vehicle. A man and a woman were injured, and one person was taken to a police station for reasons that remain unclear.

Next match

Morocco will face the winner of the France–Paraguay match in the quarterfinal on Thursday.