The 2026 FIFA World Cup is truly bringing the intensity with the quarter-final stage, but some of the most dramatic moments are happening off the pitch. Riot police took to the streets to control public unrest after Morocco lost to France in the last eight. But it was not all smooth sailing for the French either, as their star player, Kylian Mbappé, experienced a minor injury. If that was not enough, the Switzerland vs. Argentina quarterfinal game took an interesting turn ahead of the match.

After France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday night, unrest broke out in parts of London. This was the second straight World Cup where the ‘Atlas Lions’ lost to Les Bleus in the knockout stage after their semifinal loss in Qatar in 2022. Interestingly, that game at Al Bayt Stadium had also ended 2-0.

Before the game ended, people thought Paris might see riots again after celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League win in May had led to more than 890 arrests and injuries to 178 police officers, per FOX News.

While both PSG players, Mbappé (France) and Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), were far away in the USA, the bigger unrest occurred in northwest London instead. Videos from Edgware Road showed riot police with shields and protective gear facing large crowds. Smoke filled the streets as people set off fireworks and threw objects at the police. A police officer was reportedly hurt in the scuffle.

A statement was issued by a police spokesperson, according to a report by The Telegraph.

A video of the incident was posted to X by Kiera Diss.

The Moroccan supporters clearly did not take their loss to France well. Paris was no field of roses either, with fans from both sides flooding streets, waving flags, and slowing traffic down. It was a better day for France, which not only won but also closely avoided what could have been a devastating injury to Mbappé.

Is Kylian Mbappé okay after the injury scare against Morocco?

France reached their third straight FIFA World Cup semifinal, but the win also brought an injury scare for Mbappé. After a goalless opening 45 where Mbappé missed a penalty, the relentless attack by Les Bleus saw the French captain beat Moroccan goalie Yassine Bounou to break the deadlock near the hour mark. The ball came to him inside the penalty box, and he calmly curled a shot into the right corner to register his 20th career World Cup goal.

Minutes later, as the French captain was advancing, Morocco’s Issa Diop caught him with a mistimed tackle to his right ankle. This led to the game’s sole yellow card, while Mbappé remained on the ground and received treatment.

He didn’t go off at the time and provided the assist for Ousmane Dembélé’s goal, which gave France a 2-0 lead. Despite seemingly trying to run it off, the ankle pain did not go away. This led to the striker signaling to the bench that he could not continue.

In the 77th minute, Didier Deschamps replaced his captain with Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. It went down as a precautionary sub, with the coach hoping that his team would shut shop and see out the game. As Morocco unsuccessfully tried to make a comeback, there might have been concerns around Mbappé and his future at the World Cup. Cameras caught him stretching his leg and icing his right foot.

Losing their star forward at this crucial stage would hurt the French and buoy their opponents (the winners of Spain vs Belgium). Yes, the French have the likes of Dembele, Mateta, Olise, Barcola, and Doue, but Mbappe has scored as many goals as the aforementioned names. Besides netting 50% of France’s 16 goals this World Cup, he has also provided three assists and sits tied with Lionel Messi for the most goals in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with eight goals each.

No doubt, French fans were concerned; however, Mbappe’s injury is not that severe, and he is ready to return to the field in the semifinals.

“I have a minor ankle injury, but I’m completely fine,” Mbappé said during the post-match interview. “(Jean-Philippe) Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That’s all that happened.”

As France proceeds to the semis, Saturday’s Argentina vs Switzerland quarterfinal is making a buzz, as the Swiss coach had a warning for the Argentine side.

Switzerland’s coach has a tough warning for Lionel Messi’s team

Argentina’s path to the World Cup quarterfinals has not been easy in terms of the scorelines. La Albiceleste won two closely contested matchups with identical 3-2 scorelines to be where they are. While they benefited from a late own goal against Cape Verde that proved to be the winner, the defending champions pulled off an incredible comeback from 0-2 down to win in regulation.

They now face Switzerland, who have defeated two strong teams to reach the quarterfinals. They beat Algeria 2-0 in the Round of 32 and then defeated Colombia in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals.

After their strong performances, Swiss coach Murat Yakin believes his team has a real chance to challenge the defending world champions, Argentina.

“We’re playing against the world champion,” Yakin said. “There’s nothing better than having this opportunity. But it’s also been clear, over the last two matches, that Argentina is vulnerable. I think we have earned our opponents’ respect. Tactically, it’s going to be an interesting match. We are capable of rattling the world champions. For a nation like Switzerland, playing a quarter-final against Argentina is a massive moment. So, expectations are huge.”

Switzerland is making every preparation to play against Argentina. These include scenarios where the team may possibly get outnumbered, such as due to players not tracking back fast enough, a red card, or if they are temporarily at a numerical disadvantage because a player is undergoing treatment on the sidelines.

According to ESPN’s Jose Ramon Fernandez, the Swiss have practiced games with uneven numbers, such as 11 vs. 10, 11 vs. 9, and even 11 vs. 8, so the players are ready if they lose teammates during a match.

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has also reportedly spent up to two hours every day practicing penalty shootouts. He guessed correctly in the R16 shootout to deny Cucho Hernández, and the hours in preparation will prove crucial against a team that has won three straight World Cup shootouts, including two in Qatar.

All eyes will be on the game at Kansas City Stadium to see who advances to play the winner of England and Norway. It will be interesting to see whether Argentina’s recent struggles finally catch up with them or whether Switzerland’s confidence and preparation overwhelm the defending champs.