Riot police deploy water cannon as Morocco's World Cup win sparks unrest across the Netherlands

Riot police charged crowds and water cannons were deployed across several Dutch cities in the early hours of Tuesday after Morocco eliminated the Netherlands from the World Cup in a penalty shootout, with celebrations among the country’s 400,000-strong Moroccan community turning disorderly in multiple locations.

Morocco’s dramatic victory — secured after Cody Gakpo’s opener was cancelled out by Issa Diop’s 91st-minute equaliser — sent jubilant fans into the streets of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. The Netherlands then fell short in the shootout, with Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville all missing from the spot.

In The Hague’s Schilderswijk district, where a large police presence had been deployed ahead of kick-off, local authorities reported that officers were pelted with fireworks and stones before riot police charged and a water cannon was used. Arrests were made, and the situation was described by officials as a “cat-and-mouse game” between fans and police. One car was reportedly attacked, with a person jumping on its roof before the driver escaped.

In Utrecht, De Telegraaf reported that hooded individuals knocked over safety barriers, creating what authorities called a “dangerous situation” for commuters before troublemakers were dispersed. Rotterdam’s West-Kruiskade neighbourhood had to be evacuated after more than two hours of celebrations, with police making repeated announcements over a megaphone before an arrest unit was deployed. Normality was reported to have been restored across all locations by 8.30am.

The result carries a particular edge given that several key Morocco players — including Noussair Mazraoui, Sofyan Amrabat and Anass Salah-Eddine — were born in the Netherlands before choosing to represent the Atlas Lions internationally, as Hakim Ziyech had done previously.

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman faced sharp criticism in the aftermath. “This defeat is Koeman’s fault, because I didn’t recognise this Dutch team,” said Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “He lost with an identity that is not the Dutch identity. That makes me angry. I was always taught: attack, attack, attack. This is not the Dutch identity.”