Police clashed with football fans during dramatic scenes in Paris as World Cup celebrations erupted across the country.
Two people were killed elsewhere in the country as revellers celebrated France’s first World Cup win since 1998.
Violence erupted across the country following Les Bleus’ victory against Croatia on Sunday.
Some of the worst scenes of violence were in central Paris, where the Champs Elysee remained closed in the early hours of Monday following rioting and looting.
A 50-year-old France fan is believed to have died after breaking his neck jumping into a canal in the Alpine town of Annecy at the end of the team’s 4-2 triumph over Croatia in Moscow on Sunday.
Another man in his 30s also died, when he crashed his car into a tree in Sant-Felix when reportedly celebrating the win, reports said.
Rioting also broke out in other parts of the country, as tear gas was used to keep some crowds in order.
A police source in Paris said: “Rioting broke out soon after midnight as large crowds refused to disperse.
“Shops including the Publicis Drugstore close to the Arc de Triumphe were ransacked. Windows were smashed and officers who intervened were attacked. There have been scenes of absolute chaos that have spoiled the party.”
Videos shot at the scene saw units of CRS moving in, as fans wearing France shirts and black balaclavas attacked them.
Transport links, including the Metro services and other local trains, were shut during the disorder.
There was also serious trouble in the eastern city of Lyon, where hundreds of youths went on the rampage, attacking cars and setting fire to wheelie-bins.
Public fountains and other monuments in cities such as Bordeaux and Marseille, as well as Lyon, were filled with youths brandishing flares and throwing bottles.
In Frouard, near the city of Nancy, a three-year-old boy and two six-year-old girls were also seriously injured after being struck by a motorcycle, which then fled the scene
