2026 World Cup: Celebrations After France-Morocco Match Turn into Tragedy—17-Year-Old Girl Dies

A night that was supposed to be one of joy—celebrating France’s qualification for the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup—turned into a tragedy in Aulnoye‑Aymeries, in northern France: a 17-year-old girl died following an accident that occurred during the post-game celebrations, as confirmed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Avesnes-sur-Helpe.

The young woman was from Jeumont (about 25 kilometers from the scene of the accident) and was celebrating France’s victory on a truck onto which several people had climbed to celebrate, parading through the city streets to honor the French national team’s victory. The tragedy occurred under circumstances that have yet to be clarified: what is certain is that six other young people sustained minor injuries and another, in a state of shock, was taken to the hospital in Maubeuge. The local community, deeply affected by the incident, has rallied around the families involved.

What happened in Aulnoye‑Aymeries has shaken a country that, for the most part, had experienced relatively peaceful celebrations compared to what had been feared on the eve of the match: about ten arrests, with only one significant incident—a brawl in the 7th Arrondissement that left one person with minor injuries. The situation was quite different in London, however, where clashes broke out on Edgware Road between groups of Moroccan national team supporters and the police. One officer was injured, and four people were arrested.