In a statement, the Moroccan Embassy in France said it “strongly condemns the serious and disgraceful incidents that occurred on the evening of July 4, 2026, in the Quatre-Chemins district of Aubervilliers following the World Cup match between Morocco and Canada.”
According to the embassy, video footage leaves “no room for interpretation.” It said the recordings clearly show those involved committing the acts in question.
“Several documented and authenticated pieces of evidence show the flag of the Kingdom of Morocco being torn down, burned, and publicly ripped apart by individuals chanting slogans identifying themselves as being of Algerian origin,” the statement said.
The embassy described the act as “an unacceptable insult” and “a serious attack on an official symbol of national sovereignty and unity.”
The diplomatic mission said the incident “is likely to deeply offend Moroccan nationals living in France, French-Moroccans, and all those who are committed to the values of respect, dignity, and coexistence.”
It added that “nothing can justify this act, which reflects a deliberate intent to provoke, incite hatred, and disrupt public order.”
According to the embassy, the perpetrators did not stop at desecrating the flag.
The statement said additional video recordings documented other incidents in the minutes that followed.
“Other video evidence shows women wearing the Moroccan national football team’s jersey, accompanied by young children, being subjected to verbal abuse and attempts at intimidation by the same individuals,” it said.
The embassy announced that it “has referred the matter to the competent French authorities and filed a legal complaint so that those responsible may be held accountable in accordance with the law.”
It also thanked the French authorities for their attentiveness and mobilization while reaffirming “its commitment to preserving public order, the strict observance of the laws of the French Republic, and the respect due to the symbols of every nation.”
The embassy also reaffirmed “the sense of responsibility consistently demonstrated by Moroccans living in France,” who, it said, “remain faithful to the values of respect and fraternity that characterize the friendship between Morocco and France.”
“Sporting celebrations should remain moments of joy, unity, and mutual respect. They must never be instrumentalized or manipulated, nor used as a pretext for insults, provocation, verbal violence, acts of vandalism, or hateful behavior directed against a community, a nationality, or the symbols of a sovereign state,” the statement concluded.
