France's Triumph Over Morocco Sparks Celebrations and Misinformation
On July 9, 2026, after France's impressive victory against Morocco in the quarter-finals of the World Cup held in Boston, United States, jubilant fans flooded the streets of Paris and other cities across the nation to celebrate their team's progression to the semi-finals. However, amidst the festivities, social media platforms became a breeding ground for misinformation as several misleading videos circulated, falsely depicting scenes of unrest in Paris. In an effort to clarify these misconceptions, VerificaRTVE has compiled and debunked some of these viral claims.
Debunking Viral Misinformation
One particularly viral video, lasting 36 seconds, showed individuals setting cars ablaze and vandalizing bus stops, which was misrepresented online as depicting recent riots in Paris. The accompanying message, shared over 3,000 times on X, claimed, "Intense riots in Paris with overturned and burning vehicles, vandalized bus stops, broken glass, debris in the streets, and groups of criminals wreaking havoc following the France-Morocco match. Muslims are preparing to set Paris ablaze." This assertion is, in fact, false. The footage in question does not reflect current disturbances but rather captures protests that occurred in the city in December 2022, following the tragic killing of three Kurdish individuals. The initial 19 seconds of the video were first published by journalist Remy Buisine on December 24, 2022. The second segment of the footage was also geolocated to the Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire and has been previously misrepresented in various contexts, including claims of unrest in Marseille.
Furthermore, another misleading compilation of six video clips, which lasted 37 seconds, falsely attributed destruction in Paris to Moroccan migrants after their team's defeat. This message, also shared over 3,000 times since July 10, claimed that "Moroccan migrants are causing riots in Paris after losing 2-0 to France in the World Cup round of 16." However, these clips actually stemmed from celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain's victory in the Champions League on May 31, 2026, and do not represent the current events after France's win over Morocco.
In addition, a separate video showing smoke near the Eiffel Tower was circulated with claims that "Paris is beginning to burn after France's qualification for the World Cup semi-finals." This claim, too, was false, as the footage was from the aftermath of the PSG Champions League celebrations and had been previously shared by journalist Luc Auffret.
While the streets of Paris remained largely peaceful during the celebrations, significant unrest was reported in London, where police clashed with fans, resulting in injuries and arrests. This incident starkly contrasted the atmosphere in Paris, where the celebrations were described as predominantly calm. Nonetheless, a tragic incident occurred in Aulnoye-Aymeries, where a 17-year-old girl lost her life after falling from a truck while celebrating France's victory. The driver has since been detained by authorities.
As reported by rtve.es.
