A supporter with a Moroccan national flag sprays fire in Brussels, on January 18, 2026 following the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final football match between Senegal and Morocco played in Rabat, Morocco.
Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP
The final game of the tournament saw scandal on the pitch and was followed by violence across major cities in Western Europe.
Following the dramatic Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and competition host Morocco, clashes broke out in several European cities late Sunday evening after the game ended with Senegal’s 1–0 victory in overtime. Unrest was reported in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, with riot police intervening in multiple locations.
In the Netherlands, the mobile unit was deployed in The Hague due to unrest following the final. Shortly after the match, around 200 people gathered at a busy intersection in the Dutch city. Heavy fireworks were thrown at police and bystanders, prompting riot police to intervene. Eight people were arrested, and calm was restored around 1:00 a.m.
Unrest was also reported in Amsterdam. Riot police were present and were pelted with fireworks and other objects. Police cleared the square shortly after 1:00 a.m., and arrests were made.
In Antwerp, nine people were detained after disturbances erupted across the city. A local bus was pelted with eggs, and youths threw stones at police officers who had been called in, according to police reports. Elsewhere in Antwerp, seven additional people were arrested for making online calls for violence.
X videos show the angry mob causing destruction in Paris as well. Following the devastating loss in the final, lots of Moroccans gathered near the Champs-Elysées hurling fireworks at cars and clashing with the police.
In Brussels, rioting followed the final, in the infamous municipality of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. Rioters blocked roads with burning rubbish, according to footage shared on social media, with hundreds of young immigrants marching along avenues through the municipality. Chaos erupted around busy transport hubs late at night. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons to contain rioters near the Ribaucourt metro station. In Molenbeek, a moped rider was hit in the face by a firework bomb, an incident captured on footage circulating on social media. Near the Zwarte Vijvers metro station a firebomb was also set off.
Senegal wins the Africa Cup of Nations and somehow its Paris that's in chaos
