"We could take them away," Trump said before stating, "I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is not good." Although he gave no specifics, he asserted that "they're taking over parts of Boston," adding a promise that "we could get them back in about two seconds."

The Trump administration has already deployed National Guard troops to both Memphis and Washington, and legal disputes have arisen from efforts to deploy them in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago. Wu's office did not directly address the president's threat; instead, they released a statement: "Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions."

Trump also threatened to move the Olympics from Los Angeles over similar concerns.

"If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location if I had to," he said. "On that one I'd probably have to get a different kind of a permission, but we would do that," Trump said on the 2028 Games, although such a decision ultimatley rests with the International Olympic Committee.

Trump's statement was made during his meeting with Argentina President Javier Milei, and the exact meaning of his reference to parts of Boston being seized was initially unclear. The statement follows several arrests and injuries to four police officers during a violent pro-Palestinian protest on Boston Common earlier this month, according to the AP.

Trump previously suggested he might declare cities "not safe" for the 104-game soccer tournament and alter a detailed hosting arrangement that FIFA confirmed back in 2022. This plan includes holding matches at NFL stadiums located near New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, the AP said.

The authority to select World Cup host sites does not belong to Trump. FIFA has contracts with the 11 US cities – in addition to three in Mexico and two in Canada – and the organization would face substantial legal and logistical challenges to implement changes only eight months before the June 11 kickoff. FIFA's vice president Victor Montagliani said earlier this month at a sports business conference in London, "It's FIFA's tournament, FIFA's jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions," AP reported. Nonetheless, Trump asserted, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA who's phenomenal – and I would say, 'Let's move into another location' and they would do that." The president was referring to FIFA head Gianni Infantino, who is a close ally. Trump indicated that Infantino "wouldn't love to do it, but he'd do it very easily," the AP concluded.

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A FIFA investigation was launched last year regarding claims of discrimination by the Palestinian soccer Association against the Israeli association. FIFA is also investigating whether teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank playing in Israeli competitions violate its rules. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has a close relationship with US President Donald Trump and regularly visits the White House, as reported by Sky News. Infantino, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly this week, referenced the war during a speech about a "divided world, in an aggressive world," after receiving an award.

Referencing the difficulty of sanctioning countries, Infantino said there are 80 ongoing conflicts. He added, "I suffer when I see children suffer. I cry when I see mothers crying, whether it's in Gaza... anywhere in the world." Sky News reported yesterday that European soccer officials are holding high-level talks about a possible ban, though no decision has been reached. Officials have debated why Russia remains banned for the war in Ukraine, yet Israel can still play in European competitions. UEFA, the European soccer federation where Israel plays and through which it would try to qualify for the tournament, previously said the conflicts started differently, with Russia's unprovoked invasion and Israel's response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. However, a UN commission has since accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, which Israel denies, leading to UN advisers calling for Israeli teams to be expelled.

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Israel's under-20 national soccer team won third place on Sunday night, after defeating South Korea 3-1. They previously fell to Uruguay 1-0 in a semifinals match, before the South American team defeated Italy to win the cup.

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The Israeli team already made local soccer history when it defeated Brazil 3-2 in the quarter-finals, after an epic match that went into overtime. The young players leave Argentina with their names etched into the country's soccer history books.

For the first time, the U20 squad recorded a FIFA World Cup match win for Israel, then a knockout stage qualification, followed by a knockout stage win at the senior or youth level, and now they've brought home a medal.

The sensational quarter-final game had the Brazilians enter as the overwhelming favorite, but back-and-forth scoring by the two teams kept the game suspenseful. Brazil had the lead one minute into overtime, but Israel quickly equalized. In the 105th minute, Dor Turgeman faced off with goalkeeper Kaique Pereira, and made the game-winning goal.

"Congratulations to the Israeli youth soccer team for a historic achievement - third place in the World Cup! You are ending a wonderful and exciting journey in the Mondialeto and we are all proud of you" said Israel's President Isaac Herzog, as the first to comment on the historic win.

Israel's soccer Cinderella story came to a close tonight, with a lion's share of world cup firsts, as well as impressive in-game stats, for possession, shots, and passes.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Israel's under-20 national soccer team on Thursday fell to Uruguay 1-0 in the FIFA U-20 World Cup soccer semifinals match, bowing out of the tournament.

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The Israeli team made local soccer history last week when it defeated Brazil 3-2 in the quarter-finals in Argentina, after an epic match that went into overtime.

Despite an evenly played first half, neither Israel or the South American side could find the back of the net.

Uruguay came out of the break the stronger side, breaking the deadlock halfway through the second frame on an Anderson Duarte goal, in what would be the eventual match winner.

Israel's cinderella story came to a close despite the Blue and Whites leading the statistics throughout the match, including having a surprisingly large lions share of possession, shots, and passes.

While Israel has been eliminated from making the final of the competition, they will face the losing side of the second semifinal between South Korea and Italy in the third place match.

The young Israelis will leave Argentina having etched their names into the country's soccer history books: The u-20 squad recorded Israel's first ever FIFA World Cup win, knockout stage qualification, and knockout stage win in any FIFA World Cup tournament ever, both on the senior and youth level.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Israel's national under-20 soccer team defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinal of Mundialito for the first time in its history.

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The victory over the reigning Asian champion came after 97 minutes of a challenging match. Anan Khalaili, the Maccabi Haifa under-19 forward, scored the winning goal.

Video: Reuters

This achievement brings Israel one step closer to the dream title. The team's next game will be held on Saturday.

Israel's rival will be announced later on Wednesday after the winner of the match between Brazil and Tunisia emerges. Earlier on Saturday, Israel defeated Japan 2-1, making it through to the round of 16.

The final game of the FIFA championship, which was initially set to be held in Indonesia that lost its hosting rights after opposing Israel's participation, is scheduled on June 12.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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The draw for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup that was scheduled to take place in Indonesia next week will be postponed, a source told Reuters after Bali's governor refused to host Israel's team.

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said the draw that was to be held on Friday had been canceled. FIFA was still conducting checks on tournament readiness.

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The 24-team tournament is scheduled to be held from May 20-June 11 across six cities and Israel was set to make its debut in the competition.

The Jakarta Post reported earlier this month that Bali's governor Wayan Koster had written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports imploring them to "adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali" due to the conflict with Palestine. The letter was also sent to the PSSI. Reuters could not reach the governor's office for comment. Reuters has also contacted the Israeli FA for comment.

"Previously, Bali governor Wayan Koster rejected the presence of the Israeli national team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup event... This can be a reason for FIFA to cancel the U-20 World Cup draw," the PSSI said in a statement.

"Because, for FIFA, the governor's refusal is the same as canceling the organizing guarantee that has been issued by the Bali provincial government." Earlier this month, protesters marched in the capital of Jakarta waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags while demanding Israel not be allowed to participate.

Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim. Most Indonesian Muslims practice a moderate version of Islam, but recent years have seen a rise in religious conservatism that has crept into politics.

If Indonesia loses hosting rights as a result, PSSI Executive Committee member Arya Sinulingga said he was worried about how FIFA sanctions could "isolate Indonesian football from the world". Indonesia automatically qualified for the Under-20 World Cup as hosts but the last time they played in the tournament was in 1979.

Indonesia was also suspended by FIFA for nearly a year for government interference, with the global soccer body lifting the suspension in May 2016. But at the time, the suspension had denied Indonesian teams the chance to qualify for upcoming major tournaments.

Sinulingga said the PSSI hoped for a solution where politics could be separated from sport, with its chairman Erick Thohir set to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

"The chairman will also report to Mr. President at the first opportunity to find a solution to all this, both diplomacy and foreign policy... to save Indonesian football that we love," Sinulingga added.

The PSSI said losing hosting rights would harm Indonesian football teams' chances of taking part in other FIFA tournaments in the future while the economic losses would amount to "trillions of rupiah".

Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a deadly stampede last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators at a stadium in East Java in October. Many were crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.

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LUSAIL, Qatar –

Wow. Wow. Wow, times 1000. My heart is beating at 180 pulses a minute and I am still trying to wrap my head around what my eyes have seen. There is no Hollywood script that could ever match what unfolded in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France on Sunday. The thriller was a nail-biter all the way to the end, culminating with the happy ending that had become a global consensus: Argentina is the fresh champion; Lionel Messi is the new GOAT.

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This was undoubtedly the best soccer match ever; the best World Cup final one could imagine. Two superstars Kylian Mbappé and Messi in a game that would surely be talked about for years to come. Countless upsets that defied any logic, with fans rooting like mad from the bleachers and billions watching at home – and everyone in disbelief. The tension,  closing the 2-goal gap, the joy turning to despair and vice versa, and the prayers – wow, there were prayers heard all across the globe and they were mostly directed at one person, who may be only 5 feet tall but is also a one-in-a-lifetime magician who got the official certification on Sunday that he is number one.

Nothing could have prepared us for the drama that we saw over the 120-plus minutes of the game. It was basically dominated by one side for 80 minutes; it was almost boring, with Argentina scoring two goals, first by Messi and then by Ángel Di María. The Albiceleste fans in the stands continued with their enthusiastic singing that has become such a part of the team's experience over the past month whenever their team played – you could hear them on the streets of Doha, on the subway system, and on the way to the stadiums and of course in the stadium, whose fans were almost without exception dressed in sky-blue and white; only a few pockets of fans wearing the tricolor were noticeable.

Then came the successor, Mbappé, and in what was a stellar personal drive managed to score two equalizers in one minute. The Argentina fans thought they were going to collapse; the French were ecstatic. Even when the match dragged into stoppage time and then extra time, the tit-for-tat continued, with Mbappé once again equalizing after Messi – in his seventh goal this tournament – brought Argentina to a short-lived one-goal advantage. Mbappé's Hanukkah miracle, on the first night of the holiday, resulted in this crazy match reaching a point that is inherently not suitable when it comes to determining which of the best two national teams should win.

Then when the penalty kicks began, it was only Argentina that dominated, mainly thanks to the great performance of its goalie Emiliano Martínez. The man who managed to save them from defeat in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands did it again and then burst into tears. All the Argentinian players cried with him, as did the thousands in the stand who had waited 36 years for this moment. The only person who did not shed a tear was Messi, who in this tournament showed different traits: leadership, maturity, and as someone who could finally fill Diego Maradona's shoes and take with him 40 million of his compatriots all the way to the holy grail.

The French players, who came back from the dead, looked like a train wreck at the end. They were so close to grabbing another championship, the second in a row. Ultimately, despite Mbappé's amazing game (he so desperately wanted to have the trophy for his birthday this week), no one is going to remember their performance in this World Cup. What will linger is the fact that Argentina won its third World Cup and the jubilation that will follow, as this soccer-obsessed nation celebrates for many days to come to distract from the many problems.

The joy on the pitch continue well after the game was over. Messi swung the cup wearing the black and gold gilded robe he got from the Qatar emir, and then ran off to hug his wife and kids. One picture of the Messi family, speaking and smiling caught my eye. Every other player would have been overcome with emotion at this moment, but Messi – who lives in his own universe, was cool as a cucumber as if he was enjoying a family picnic that just happened to coincide with him holding the most prized trophy in the world.

The Argentinian fans who could not get enough of the celebrations inside the stadium continued partying outside the venue all through the capital city of Doha, which had live-performance stages dotting the entire metropolis. But nothing could upstage the best show in town: the throngs of Argentinians having the time of their lives. Their solidarity with their national team, which started well before the match began, dragged on and on for hours upon hours after the final whistle had been blown, and will surely continue until the team touches down in Buenos Aires.

The world-class performance we saw in the final was a proper final note for a fantastic World Cup with superb quality on display throughout. Yes, this was a treacherous and tainted road – from having to move the tournament to the winter to the thousands of dead construction works and the prohibition of alcohol and protesting anti-LBGT law- but as far as the soccer that was on display, the past month brought the most popular game in the world to new heights. It is doubtful that we will get to see such games in the near future.

As far as Qatar is concerned, that is all that matters. It ran a smooth and impressive tournament, which is no small feat for such a tiny country that had never hosted events of such magnitude. The effort the rulers took in making sure this was a success is seen in every corner, not just in the games, but on the streets as well. Qatar showed the world a smiling face, which was only marred occasionally by political demonstrations (mainly from Morocco's team). It also had the good luck of having the best two teams reach the final, with its two crown jewels of Messi and Mbappé – both play in the Qatari-owned team Paris Saint-Germain F.C. It essentially proved that there is nothing money can't buy.

Starting Monday, Qatar will once again be what is used to be: a rich sheikhdom that is both religious and conservative. But anyone who has had the chance of visiting it over the past several weeks will never forget the magic that was part of this tournament, and especially the final: a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is almost supernatural. Perhaps the only thing one can say is, Thank you. Thank you for having the privilege of seeing this match, these players, and being part of an event that most likely won't be replicated in the future.

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Argentina won the World Cup on Sunday after beating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties, following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time. Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman's penalty and Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide to give Argentina their first world title since 1986, and third overall.

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France had come from two goals down to level over 90 minutes with Kylian Mbappe netting twice in two minutes, including an 80th-minute penalty. The France striker completed his hat-trick in the 118th with another spot-kick after Argentina's Lionel Messi had tapped in for a 3-2 lead in the 109th.

Argentina had gone 2-0 up in the first half with Messi, making a record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance, converting a 23rd-minute penalty. They struck again with a sublime four-pass counter-attack as Alexis Mac Allister's cutback found Angel Di Maria and he finished well.

France's Kylian Mbappe scored a 117th-minute penalty to complete his hat-trick and force a shootout after Lionel Messi had put Argentina back in front in the 109th minute.

The French, attempting to become the first team in 60 years to win back-to-back titles, staged a sensational two-goal comeback, with Mbappe netting twice in two minutes, including an 80th-minute penalty.

Argentina had taken the lead in the first half after Messi, making a record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance, converted a 23rd-minute penalty to equal the World Cup tally of Brazil great Pele with his 12th goal in five tournaments.

Argentina struck again before the break following a sublime four-pass counter-attack as Alexis Mac Allister's cutback found Angel Di Maria at the far post and he finished well.

Tens of thousands of soccer fans wearing French and Argentinian colours gathered at Doha's Lusail stadium on Sunday where the 2022 World Cup ends with a dream-like scenario for Qatar: a showdown between Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, both stars of Doha-owned Paris St Germain.

The throngs overcrowded Doha's metro with Qatar Rail delaying access to the stations as a modest closing ceremony kicked off inside the stadium where dancers celebrated "A Night to Remember". The stadium appeared almost full as the game started, with Argentinian fans vastly outnumbering the French.

The crowd watched Qatar's air force planes flying over Lusail as the Gulf state also celebrated its national day, with thousands of police forces, including anti-riot units armed with water canons, securing the area.

After 63 matches, the World Cup in Qatar comes to a close with reigning champions France taking on Argentina in a showpiece final with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest. France's Mbappe and Argentina's Messi, both playing for the Qatari-owned club, are also a reminder of Qatar's influence on global soccer beyond the FIFA World Cup organisation.

"Our parents talked to us about Maradona, and we will talk to our sons about Messi... We hope that we will win the cup, and we can celebrate with him and all the people in Argentina," said Nicolas Gomez, a fan from Argentina.

Argentina got a 2-0 lead against France at half-time in the World Cup final after goals by Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria. Messi scored on a 23rd-minute penalty kick after a foul on Di Maria. Thirteen minutes later Di Maria finished off a flowing team move involving a deft flick from Messi.

Messi now has 12 World Cup goals – the same as Brazil great Pelé – and is the first player to score in the group stage and every round of the knockout stage in a single edition of the tournament.

France's Kylian Mbappe scored twice in two minutes late in the game, including an 80th-minute penalty, to salvage a 2-2 draw with Argentina after 90 minutes and force extra time in the World Cup final on Sunday.

The Argentineans had struck through captain Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria in the first half and were in complete control until Mbappe inspired a dramatic comeback for France, who had looked toothless for much of the game.

French fan Dylan Cognard from Normandy dismissed the heavy presence of Argentina's supporters: "(They have) a lot of chants, but if we score, there will be zero sound ... They will stop singing 'muchacho'."

Thousands also gathered outside the stadium to watch the game on giant screens: "We have no tickets. We are here for the national day and because the players might come out after the finish. We wanted to just see them," said Shafeek Mydheea, a tourist from Dubai standing in front of two rows of riot police outside Lusail metro station.

Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, which has been marred by controversy, was part of a carefully built strategy by the tiny but rich state to bolster its global influence.

The tournament has put its human rights record in the spotlight - including conditions for foreign workers who built those stadiums and conservative laws which ban homosexuality, restrict political expression and curb alcohol sales.

In May, a coalition of rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International called on FIFA and Qatar to establish a compensation fund at least equivalent to the $440 million World Cup prize money for workers who have suffered abuses or died in Qatar. Neither FIFA nor Qatar agreed to establish the fund.

Others, like the UK-based labour rights charity Equidem called for the establishment of an independent migrant worker centre in Qatar to allow freedom of association and to overhaul the relationship between workers and employers in the Gulf Arab state. Qatar has not yet established such a centre.

Qatari authorities say the decade-long criticism of their country has been unfair and misinformed, pointing to labour law reforms enacted since 2018 and accusing some critics of racism and double standards.

"We've endeavoured for this tournament to be an accelerant to improve the conditions on labour reforms because the situation previously was not acceptable despite the best intentions," said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar's World Cup organiser, in an interview broadcast on Sky News.

"There is the Workers Support and Insurance Fund that will be looking into any matters relating to unfortunate deaths. And that will continue beyond the World Cup," Thawadi said.

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On Wednesday, Doha had a difficult time waking up from Argentina's dream after its 3:0 victory in the first semi-final against Croatia. The streets were flooded with fans, who continued to sing and cheer as if the game was not over yet. Perhaps this was actually in preparation for the final that will be held on Sunday.

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The madness in turquoise and white started long before the game. The entire city was supporting one team: Argentina. A handful of Croatia's fans could be seen here and there, but they were only a drop in the ocean. Even countless Morocco fans, whose presence was felt in the city (Air Morocco, the national airline, added 30 flights in the last two days to meet the demand of fans to attend the semifinal against France). All cheered for Argentina, and in particular, for Leo Messi.

The atmosphere on the pitch was almost as electrifying as the game itself. Put all the conspiracies for and against Messi and Argentina aside for one moment, because there are moments that are greater than all that. The semi-final at the Lusail Stadium was most certainly one of these moments: a rare display of football and goodwill, which only South American passion can produce.

The atmosphere continued long after the final whistle was blown. For almost an hour thousands of Argentina's fans remained on the field, singing and hailing even after the players had already gone down to the dressing room. The celebrations continued, of course, all the way from Lusail to the city – on the subway, buses, taxis - and in several pivotal points in the city center. Blowing of the final whistle was the signal for a mega party, which went on until the early hours of the morning. At some stage, congestion was so great that the police blocked all entrances to the Waqif market, which was overflowing with fans.

What cold shoulder? 

Yesterday afternoon, when I visited the market again, the tone had shifted to Morocco's fans, in the leadup to the second semi-final against France. Argentina's fans were much calmer, for now at least, as their team had qualified for the final. The tension will return and will probably rise from today until Sunday. They will be satisfied with nothing less than the cup –  evident in the unbelievable pictures of millions of fans parading the streets of every city in Argentina, and to understand the general madness that is now gripping this football-sick and trouble-stricken country.

El-Tayyeb restaurant, located in one of the market alleys, is famous for its excellent meat skewers. They have no cutlery there; you pull the meat off the skewers with a pita and eat with your hands. Sitting there is like being on a kibbutz: they ask you how many people you are, and put you at a table with that number of free seats. The food is cheap and tasty, and the atmosphere is jovial. The person next to me at the table asked where I was from. I asked him to guess. "Argentina," he tried. I answered "No" and said "Israel." He looked at me in amazement and said: "Argentina is better. They've got Messi."

Much has been written over the recent weeks about the cold shoulder that Israelis have been given here. There have also been cases of verbal attacks, including against journalists. I haven't experienced any of this. I think that the expectation to be welcomed here with open arms and love was excessive. Qatar, of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Hamas supporter and good friend of Iran, does not particularly like Israelis. It holds clandestine ties with Israel, through Mossad and other security organizations, but openly prefers to keep its distance. In the past, Israel did, in fact, have a representative office in the sheikhdom, but it was closed in 2009, following Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, and has not been reopened. Since then, Qatar has made an effort to identify with the Palestinians, educating its young generation this way, and broadcasting its messages through its home channel – Al Jazeera.

If it weren't for the World Cup, Israelis would not be coming here (with the exception of security forces or anyone holding a foreign passport). Therefore, I believe that we have to regard what is happening here in a different way: This is a one-time opportunity to visit another Muslim country, which, on the one hand, has not been affected by years of war, enmity, and strained relations with Israel, like Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, while, on the other hand, is not completely free of these countries, like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

This open door to Israelis will close this coming Monday, the day after the final, and Qatar will swiftly return to being the inaccessible and rough country that it was. There are undoubtedly many in Qatar who long for the chaos to recede from the streets and the familiar tranquility to be reinstated. There are also many others – mainly business owners, tourist workers, and taxi drivers – who are already regretting that the jackpot of the past month is soon coming to an end.

Criticism will disappear

Anyone who has not visited here before believes that it is natural to be taking videos and selfies on every street corner, that it is okay that private drivers are "playing taxi driver" without a license and that they honk on the streets. But those who know Qatar know that all these will disappear within a moment. Next week, no one will be double-parking at the entrance to the market, and no one will be sitting with bare shoulders on the chairs scattered around the Katara entertainment district.

Getting back to normal will be as quick as lightning. Just as the 974 stadium – it has been endlessly written about the fact that its name derived from Qatar's international telephone code and the number of containers it comprises – was immediately pulled down after the quarterfinal, in which Brazil beat South Korea 4:1. The organizers announced in advance that this would happen, and put in a lot of effort to ensure that it would happen during the World Cup so that they could prove to everyone that they were keeping their promise. Now we wait to see where the containers that were used to build this stadium would be sent in order to build it again. This will probably be in Africa, as Qatar's contribution to the Black Continent, and in an attempt to generate more positive public relations for themselves.

In the meantime, the organizers can feel satisfied, because the level of football displayed in the World Cup has been excellent, and Argentina and Messi have reached the final. This guarantees them peak interest up until the last minute. They will sweep the immense criticism of this World Cup under the carpet. Those who live in Qatar are not exposed to this at all and bask in the reports of the "most successful world cup in history", as it has been marketed here. And in everything else about the world, you can count on the Qataris to move heaven and earth – and above all – to pour money, in continuing to glorify their name in every way possible.

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Crowds in Paris and other French cities erupted in shouts of joy as France advanced to the World Cup final Wednesday, while disappointed Morocco fans mingled with the exuberant supporters of the winning team, paying tribute to the African country's unprecedented achievement.

Football fans streamed to the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, shooting off firecrackers and red flares, to an unending chorus of honking cars. On the famous avenue, many were brandishing French flags and singing "we are in the final." Some Moroccan fans, wrapped in the North African country's flag, also cheered their team in the streets of the French capital.

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France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup final against Argentina, in a historic match between the defending champion and Africa's first ever semifinalist.

Supporters from both teams gathered in bars from the boulevards of Paris to the streets of Morocco's capital Rabat, from the cosmopolitan French Riviera city of Nice to the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech. Celebrating the victory near the Bastille square, in central Paris, Adrien Vignau, a 22-year-old Parisian, praised a "great victory for France" and said he was looking forward to the final against Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi.

"Bravo to Moroccans," said Parisian Corentin Voiseux. "Tonight it's not only France that wins but all of the French-speaking people. ... We are together and Moroccans will be with us at the final," he added. In central Madrid, fans celebrated on Sol Square after the match, some with red Moroccan flags draped on their shoulders, jumping up and down, and some wearing the French tricolor.

In Belgium, scuffles briefly broke out in Brussels after the game and authorities countered with water cannon and teargas after they were targeted. One and a half hours later, a tense calm had returned. Media reports spoke of 40 detentions. There also was some unrest in northern Antwerp. In Paris, riot police vans lined the broad thoroughfare and the base of the imposing Arc de Triomphe, and white-helmeted officers roamed the crowd on the Champs-Elysees. Minor incidents briefly broke out, leading officers to occasionally use teargas to move the crowd away.

Despite their sadness, Moroccan fans expressed pride in their team, highlighting the history-making moment this game represented. A Rabat resident, Fatima Zahra Attaq said that she was "a bit sad, but this is football. ... After all, they gave their best and made us proud to reach this stage of the competition."

"The national team made us dream," said Reda Hakam, also working in Rabat. "The dream is now over. I am not sad. I am actually very proud." Kenza El Amrani said that "I think Moroccans should wipe the tears off their faces and cheer for this team." Those who attended the game in Qatar also paid tribute to the performance and fighting spirit of the African team.

"Morocco played with their hearts," said Ayaz Dhrolia, a fan from Canada whose face was painted in Morocco colors as he left Doha's Al Bayt Stadium. "They won the hearts of millions and millions of people around the world, well appreciated. Thanks, Morocco."

Youssra Zhhata, a Moroccan woman who was at the game, stressed that "they made it to the semifinals and that's an accomplishment. ... And we had Africans, Arabs, everyone supporting us."

Morocco was under French rule from 1912-56, giving the match political and emotional resonance for both nations. Morocco has exceeded all expectations in Qatar by beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and then eliminating European powerhouses Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase to reach the semifinals.

In Gaza, Palestinians who thronged cafes and outdoor large screens expressed disappointment at Morocco's loss. "All of Gaza is now sad for this result. We were hoping they would win," said Wael al-Riffi, a Gaza resident, as he held Morocco's flag. The Palestinians felt empathy from the Moroccan national team as players held the Palestinian flag several times at the World Cup.

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