France World Cup Final Advance: 'Joy Turns to Frenzy'

A 2-0 Victory Over Morocco Secures Final Berth
Violent Acts Involving Far-Right Groups and Moroccan Immigrants Mixed

On the 14th (local time), after France defeated Morocco in the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal to advance to the final, soccer fans gathered on the Champs-?lys?es in Paris celebrated the victory by setting off fireworks. Photo by EPA, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] On the 14th (local time), various accidents occurred as soccer fans who came out to the streets in France to celebrate the joy of advancing to the 2022 Qatar World Cup final got entangled.

France achieved a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the semifinal held that day. As a result, soccer fans gathered in major areas such as Paris, the capital of France, as well as Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse, celebrating the victory by setting off fireworks and waving the French flag. However, among those who rushed out to the streets were members of far-right groups. Some of them were reported to have carried weapons like knuckles and tools such as wrenches.

According to Radio France and AFP, 167 people were arrested in Paris and its suburbs that day, including 40 members of far-right groups. The Ministry of the Interior had deployed 10,000 police officers and gendarmes across France in advance, anticipating possible clashes between Moroccan and French soccer fans depending on the match result. This is because France once colonized Morocco, leading to strained relations between the two nations' citizens.

Among those arrested, a significant number were Moroccans who were agitated by Morocco's defeat. They committed violent acts such as smashing parked cars with hammers and throwing bricks. Videos posted on social media show Moroccan soccer fans burning cheering banners and setting fire to trash cans and electric scooters. Approximately 500,000 Moroccan immigrants reside in France.

In Marseille, France's second-largest city after Paris, four people were arrested. They are suspected of stealing others' mobile phones, carrying weapons, and stealing smoke bombs amid the chaos caused by the large crowds. In Lyon, the third-largest city in France, a clash nearly broke out between soccer fans and far-right group members on the streets but was prevented by police intervention. Near Annecy, close to Lyon, one person was injured in the crowd and was transported to a hospital, and in the resort city of Nice, an excited soccer fan set fire to a trash can.

Meanwhile, in Montpellier in the south, after the World Cup semifinal ended, a 14-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a motorcycle. The police are pursuing the motorcycle driver who fled the scene after the accident.

France, the 2018 Russia World Cup champion, is aiming for back-to-back victories. France won the World Cup hosted in their own country in 1998 and was the runner-up in the 2006 Germany World Cup. The World Cup final between France and Argentina will be held on the 19th at midnight (Korean time) at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

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