French and Moroccan fans across France clashed after the defending champion beat the North African side 2-0 in the second semifinal of the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday. A teenage boy in Montpellier, in southern France, died amid the clashes with local officials stating the boy was “violently hit” by a car, according to media reports.
According to the department of Herault, in southern France, the boy was immediately taken to a hospital. But despite the best efforts of the doctors, the 14-year-old succumbed to his injuries. French media reports suggest police are still on the lookout for the driver of the car.
Herault MP Nathalie Oziol expressed “immense sadness (that) a sporting event ends in absolute tragedy”. She wrote in a tweet: “I offer my condolences to the family.”
This isn't the first time riots erupted after a game involving the North African side. Clashes erupted after Morocco stunned the world by beating Belgium during the group stages, as dozens of fans draped in Moroccan flags clashed with riot police with water cannons and tear gas.
Read: Riots in Brussels after Belgium loses to Morocco in World Cup match
Semifinal aftermath
French fans took to the streets of Paris, on the Champs-Elysées avenue, and broke into celebrations after their team reached consecutive World Cup finals.
However, things got ugly soon despite a huge police presence as fans from the two teams clashed in Paris and across other French cities. It has been reported that around 10,000 police officers were mobilised across the country after the semifinal match.
Twitter users shared videos of cars being driven erratically after France's win, as many fans clashed with police in riot gear.
Police in the capital reportedly arrested around 115 people around 1 am local time for their role in the riots, including a small group of people who allegedly set fire to a building.
FIFA World Cup final
France will take on Argentina on Sunday, at the Lusail Stadium, in Lusail, at 8:30 pm IST.
Les Bleus will look to make history by being the first team to successfully defend their crown while Argentina's Lionel Messi will hope to bow out of international football with the elusive FIFA World Cup medal.
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