Two France football fans die during night of violence as World Cup celebrations descend into violence
France’s World Cup win saw celebrations in the country descend into violence as riot police used tear gas to control crowds.
Ugly scenes across the country marred France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the dramatic final of the football tournament.
Central Paris saw fans riot and loot shops as French police fired tear gas into the crowds in the Champs Elysees.
Two people are believed to have died during the celebrations – a man in his 30s was killed when his car crashed into a tree as he celebrated his team’s win in Saint-Felix.
A 50-year-old is also said to have broken his neck after jumping into a canal in Annecy as the final whistle blew.
A police source in Paris told the Mirror: ‘Rioting broke out soon after midnight as large crowds refused to disperse.
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‘Shops including the Publicis Drugstore close to the Arc de Triomphe were ransacked. Windows were smashed and officers who intervened were attacked.
‘There have been scenes of absolute chaos that have spoiled the party.’
Videos from the celebrations at the Champs Elysees show riot officers being attacked by thugs wearing France shirts and balaclavas covering their faces.
Stones were hurled at officers while transport links were shut down in an attempt to curtail the violence.
Meanwhile, hundreds of fans went on the rampage, attacking cars and setting fire to wheelie-bins in Lyon after France’s second World Cup victory.
Thugs also threw bottles and set off flares in Bordeaux and Marseilles, while a three-year-old boy and two six-year-old girls were left seriously injured after they were hit by a motorcycle in Frouard.
The driver fled the scene before they could be detained.
Around 4,000 police and security forces were deployed across Paris in case violence erupted after France’s first World Cup final appearance since 2006.