
France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 9, 2026, advancing to their third consecutive World Cup semi-final. Following this, a video of people fighting with police, setting off fireworks, and causing unrest in the streets is going viral on social media with the claim that it shows Moroccan fans rioting in Paris after their team lost to France.
Let’s check the truth.
Fact check:
By closely analysing the video, we noticed a WSJ (Wall Street Journal) watermark in the top-right corner. By using that hint, we conducted further keyword searches and found this video uploaded on the WSJ website under the caption “Hundreds Arrested in Paris After Champions League Riots” on 31 May 2026.
Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League sparked a weekend of clashes in the city between rioters and thousands of police officers.

This indicates that the viral video is old and not related to the FIFA World Cup or loss of Morocco.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) retained the Champions League title on 30th May, beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in Budapest, but the joy of victory gave way to destruction. Following the victory, the unrest broke out across Paris and several French cities.
Moving forward, we found the same video was uploaded on the Facebook page of World NBC also on 31 May with the same information. The caption states, “Thousands of Paris Saint-Germain fans violently clashed with police in the French capital on Saturday night after their team won the Champions League final against Arsenal.”
However, based on the evidence, the viral video actually depicts violence in Paris after PSG’s Champions League victory in May. It has no connection to the FIFA World Cup.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the video to be misleading. The viral video shows the violence in Paris that followed PSG’s Champions League victory in May 2026.


