Angry Australian Fans Vent Frustration at French Fans After Last-Minute Defeat

Physical altercations including throwing plastic bottles at Australian and French fans
Victoria Police: "We will investigate if reports are received"

In the first match of Group D in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage, France came from behind to defeat Australia 4-1. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Bora Lee] In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, France defeated Australia 4-1 in a decisive victory. Following this, a scuffle broke out as Australian fans cheering on the streets threw plastic bottles at French fans.

On the 22nd (local time), according to foreign media including the British Daily Mail, fans from both countries gathered at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia at 6 a.m. to watch and cheer for the Group D first match between France and Australia in the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage.

On that day, Australia took the lead in the 9th minute of the first half with a goal by Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United). However, France's Adrien Rabiot (Juventus) scored an equalizer, leveling the match at 1-1. Soon after, Olivier Giroud (AC Milan) scored, putting France ahead 2-1. In the second half, Kylian Mbapp? (Paris Saint-Germain) and Giroud scored consecutively, securing a complete victory for France.

After France's big win, some Australian fans cheering on the streets acted violently toward fans wearing French uniforms. Additionally, Australian and French fans exchanged insults, and some Australian fans even snatched the French flag from French fans and ran away. These scenes spread on social media (SNS), sparking controversy. Other videos captured scenes of fistfights between football fans of both countries.

According to the Daily Mail, one French fan involved in the fight was not actually French. A man wearing a French national football team uniform explained in an interview with an Australian podcast, "I am Ukrainian," and said, "I went to the square to cause trouble on social media." He added, "We originally wore Australian shirts on top, and as soon as France scored the winning goal, we took off the shirts in the middle," explaining, "Everything was for YouTube content."

Regarding this, a Victoria Police spokesperson stated about the incident, "No formal complaints have been filed yet, but if reports come in, we will investigate," and added, "There is no place for violent and antisocial behavior on Australian streets," emphasizing, "Sports fans should enjoy the World Cup period in the right way."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.