morning arrests – Netherlands supporters faced an early-morning street celebration in Rotterdam after Morocco beat the Netherlands on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Police intervened at 7:30am, with four arrests made for assault and public disorder.
By the time some commuters were starting their day, Rotterdam had already been pulled into a World Cup aftershock.
Morocco fans were still partying in the streets just hours after their side’s dramatic knockout win over the Netherlands. lighting flares and waving Morocco flags as they beat the Dutch 3-2 on penalties in the round of 32. The trouble came early on Tuesday morning. with police moving in at 7:30am to break up celebrations that had started earlier and continued across the city.
Footage shared on TikTok showed supporters hammering steel drums. dancing in jubilation and celebrating close to home comforts that Dutch fans could only watch from the other side. For many Netherlands supporters. it was a brutal timing mismatch: they had spent the night watching Ronald Koeman’s side get knocked out—then had to wake up to rival celebrations across the country.
In Rotterdam, some fans did not take kindly to the intervention. A flower pot was thrown, local press reported, prompting riot police to step in. In total, four people were arrested for assault and disturbing the public order. One video image showed police pinning a man in a powder blue hoodie to the ground during the arrest. with his hands tied behind his back as he was led into the back of a van.
The wider background fed into the authorities’ concern. With an estimated 420. 000 people of Moroccan origin living in the Netherlands—described as the second-largest immigrant population—the match was earmarked ahead of time as a potential flashpoint. Police presence across major cities for the Monday night game was reinforced, with greater license to detain anyone deemed unruly.
A recent memory also loomed large. Four years ago at the World Cup in Qatar, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht banned public screenings of Morocco’s matches because of trouble on the streets. This time, the Dutch involvement meant those bans were not possible.
The match itself left Dutch supporters with little room to recover. After extra time delivered a 1-1 draw, the shootout decided the tie. Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands ahead in the 72nd minute. triggering scenes of jubilation and sparking an emotional reaction from the Liverpool star—after he and his partner had suffered the loss of their unborn child over the weekend. But the Netherlands couldn’t hold the lead. Issa Diop headed home in stoppage time to level the contest. and neither side managed to find a winner in extra time.
In the penalty shootout, Quinten Timber, Crysencio Summerville and Justin Kluivert all missed. Bart Verbruggen then allowed one penalty to find its way past him. completing Morocco’s 3-2 win and condemning the Netherlands to an early exit. Morocco will play Canada on Saturday, while the Dutch are heading home.
Even as the football ended in heartbreak for one side, the streets told a separate story—at least until police stepped in at the morning hour, just as the city began moving again.
Morocco Netherlands World Cup penalties Rotterdam riot police arrests flares Gakpo Diop Verbruggen Timber Summerville Kluivert Canada