Paris: Football fans in France created a ruckus after a narrow defeat to Argentina in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Football fans took to the streets of Lyon, Nice, and the capital Paris, ransacking and arson, and clashing with the police. To control the miscreants, the police had to fire tear gas shells. Riot control forces clashed with fans on the famous Champs-Elysees in Paris as flares were lit and fireworks shot into the sky after a tense game, The Sun reported. Thousands of fans gathered in Paris and other French cities in anticipation of victory in the football World Cup final, but their national team lost 4–2 to Argentina in a penalty shootout, curtailing the celebrations.
In the thrilling match held in Qatar, both the teams were tied 3-3 in extra time, due to which the winner was decided by penalty shootout. The French team missed 2 of their first 4 penalty shots while the Argentine team converted the first four penalty shots. In this way, Lionel Messi’s dream of winning the FITA World Cup was fulfilled. French football fans gathered in bars and restaurants to watch the final match, as Paris and several other cities refused to set up outdoor screens to broadcast the match. In Lyon, riot control forces had to fire tear gas at football fans as violence broke out in the city. Several social media users posted videos of stampedes in the streets of Paris and Lyon, as people ran to avoid tear gas fired by police.
In some videos, police can be heard shouting at the rioters as water cannons were allegedly used to disperse the crowd. Police have reportedly detained dozens of fans in Lyon. A video from the French city of Nice showed emergency vehicles running over burning rubbish in the street as clashes broke out in the city. But, on the other hand, the scene near the Argentine Embassy in Paris was something else. Dozens of fans cheer after Argentina’s victory in the FIFA World Final against France at the Embassy, a few blocks from the iconic Arc de Triomphe monument.
On the Sunday before the final match, more than 14,000 police officers were deployed across France to ensure security. Because there was already an apprehension that football fans might create an uproar. Riots broke out across Europe after several World Cup matches in recent weeks. Clashes broke out between France and Belgium after France’s victory over Morocco in the semi-finals. Moroccan fans resorted to violence, setting off fireworks and rioting in the streets of France. A 14-year-old boy was killed in violent clashes in several cities of the country. Rowdy Moroccan fans set off fireworks targeting riot control police. The police officers were forced to flee.
List of countries that have won the World Cup title.
Brazil, five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
Germany four times (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
Italy four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
Argentina three times (1978, 1986, 2022)
France twice (1998, 2018)
Uruguay twice (1930, 1950)
England Once Upon a Time (1966)
Spain Once (2010)
