The great France-Morocco reconciliation faces a World Cup test

PARIS — The newfound harmony between France and Morocco will be tested Thursday night when the two nations clash in the World Cup quarterfinals in Boston.

Relations between Paris and Rabat have rarely been warmer, after President Emmanuel Macron recognized Morocco’s disputed sovereignty plan for Western Sahara in 2024. During a state visit to Rabat that year, Macron hailed a deep connection between the two countries “that stretches back to time immemorial.”

But the propensity of French police to crack down on exuberant football fans, along with recurring violent incidents after big matches involving French teams, and the scorching summer weather baking France all add up to a potential tinderbox across the country.

Due to France’s large Moroccan community — which numbers at least 1.7 million people, according to 2019 data — and the country’s recent difficulties managing post-match celebrations, authorities have put some security precautions in place. The Paris police department has banned flares and fireworks on the night of the match, warning that “numerous incidents of violence occur regularly during the final stages of major soccer tournaments.”

In May, 20,000 people took to the streets to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain’s second straight UEFA Champions League title, leading to unrest and clashes between supporters and police. Far-right chief Jordan Bardella seized on the violence to blame France’s population of immigrant descent.

Asked whether Thursday night’s game carried any particular security risk, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez replied “like any match” during an interview this week on French public television.

Nuñez said police would be “extremely vigilant during the celebrations” regardless of the result, but would not automatically move to disperse public gatherings. He added that the same approach had been used for France’s previous matches, while noting that fixtures generally become higher risk as tournaments reach their final stages.

French outlet Le Parisien reported Wednesday evening that in private authorities had compiled a document that noted: “This match presents an increased risk due to its knockout nature and the stakes of qualifying for the semi-finals.”

‘Deep human bonds’

France and Morocco have shared unusually close ties for decades, shaped by Morocco’s status as a French protectorate from 1912 until its independence in 1956. France remains one of Morocco’s largest trading partners, while security and intelligence cooperation has long been a cornerstone of the relationship — even if political disputes have periodically strained it.

In 2021, media investigations alleged that Moroccan authorities had used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to target phones belonging to Macron and other French officials. Ties remained frosty after a devastating earthquake struck Morocco in 2023, when Rabat declined France’s offer of aid.

Macron’s Western Sahara gambit in 2024, which aligned France with Spain, the U.S. and dozens of other countries around the world, helped to quell the tensions between the two countries — an important matter for France, which seeks Morrocco’s cooperation on topics ranging from trade to migration. Western Sahara is mostly controlled by Morocco, but Rabat’s sovereignty over the territory is not internationally recognized.

The connection between France and Morocco runs all the way to the pitch: France captain Kylian Mbappé and Morocco skipper Achraf Hakimi — former teammates at Paris Saint-Germain — are close friends off the field.

Previous France-Morocco encounters, including in the 2022 World Cup semifinals, led to some arrests but no major public unrest. Morocco’s big games in other competitions, like the African Cup of Nations, have also largely passed off without trouble in France.

A law enforcement official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said any concerns were more likely to center on possible tensions between Morocco supporters and members of the French-Algerian community, given the diplomatic angst between the North African neighbors.

A center-left parliamentarian, who also spoke to POLITICO on condition of anonymity, said they would expect France’s powerful far right — which is leading the race for the French presidency in 2027 — to try to score political points off any unrest that occurs, as they did after the Champions League final. “Morocco, Algeria or any other African country, I don’t think they care about the distinctions,” the lawmaker said.

But what is perhaps most striking about the Paris-Rabat reconciliation is that even the anti-immigrant far right is on board. The French-Moroccan friendship committee in parliament is chaired by Hélène Laporte, a senior member of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella’s National Rally.

Laporte has said “the relationship between France and Morocco is strong and enduring,” describing it as built on “deep human bonds and a sincere friendship.”

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