Boy killed in Montpellier as France and Morocco fans clash during World Cup semi-final
Topics: World News, News, Football
Ali Condon
Featured Image Credit: @01tissema/Twitter
Topics: World News, News, Football
A young boy was killed on the streets of Montpellier, France when fights broke out between Moroccan and French fans following the World Cup semi-final.
France beat Morocco 2-0 in Wednesday night's (14 December) match, securing their place in Sunday's final against Argentina.
But, not long after the win, fans clashed in the streets of Montpellier, Nice, Lyon, and Paris, launching flares and setting rubbish bins on fire.
Advert
In a video shared on social media, Moroccan fans in Montpellier can be seen walking down the Rue de la Mosson, when a car with a French flag in its window drove towards them.
When fans gathered around the white hatchback to try and rip the flag out, the driver began swerving erratically, appearing to try and get away from the crowd.
In the mess of it all, a teenage boy was hit by the car.
The 14-year-old was quickly transferred to hospital, but died shortly after arriving, according to the Department of Herault.
A statement issued by the local government office confirmed that the young boy was 'violently hit' by the car during the clash.
The car in question was later found near the scene, and police are still investigating the incident.
Riot police were deployed across a number of cities in Paris after Les Bleus defeated Morocco, with riot gear, tear gas, and barricades in their arsenal.
The two countries have always had a rather complicated relationship, given the four decades of French colonial dominance in Morocco between 1912 and 1956, but it all came to a head on Wednesday night when the underdogs were brutally defeated, missing their chance to become the first African team to make it to the World Cup final.
Morocco still made World Cup history this year, after their 1-0 win over Portugal last week, making them the first-ever African team to make it to the semi-final.
This Sunday (18 December) will mark France's second World Cup final in a row.
In 2018, Les Bleus beat Croatia 4-2 in Russia's Luzhiniki Stadium in Moscow.
This year, they'll take on Argentina, who beat Croatia 3-0 in Tuesday's semi-final.