Riot police fired tear gas at crowds on the Champs-Elysees in a bid to restore control as celebrations following France's World Cup semi-final victory descended into violence in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The euphoria following Les Bleus' 1-0 win over neighbouring Belgium soured as the night wore on, with reports of injuries emerging as trouble flared across the country.

More than two dozen fans were hurt in a stampede triggered by firecrackers in Nice, while in Paris fans were spotted throwing bottles and stones at police.

Ahead of the tie, crowds gathered to watch the match on a large screen outside Paris’ Hotel de Ville, with fans climbing trees, vans and dustbins to get a better look.

The French victory was initially met with jubilant scenes as thousands of fans draped in Tricolour flags and chanting “We’re in the final” gathered around the Champs-Elysee and the Louvre.

However, violence soon erupted, as dozens of fans were filmed running down the main street with flares and throwing debris – including metal barriers and traffic cones – at police, who responded by charging at them.

France fans clash on the Champs-Elysees after defeating Belgium in their World Cup semi-final match (REUTERS)

In Nice, footage showed people running through a restaurant screaming, while images emerged of shaken onlookers standing around overturned tables and chairs, the ground littered with broken glass.

The incident has underscored how the city remains on edge two years after an Isis terrorist drove a refrigerator truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, killing 86 people.

“There was a crowd surge after firecrackers were detonated,” Jean-Gabriel Delacroix from the city prefecture said, adding that 27 people were injured. “Most of the injuries are glass cuts and bruising picked up when people fell.”

World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Hugo Lloris - 7 Assertive when off his line. Got the majority of his decisions right and notably impressed with a diving save to deny Alderweireld in the first half. Not overly tested in the second half. Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Benjamin Pavard - 7 Should have found the back of the net after being put through on goal by Mbappe in the first half. Pushed forward on numerous occasions throughout the match but remained defensively assured. His excellent tournament continues. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Raphael Varane - 7 France couldn’t have asked more from him. Kept Lukaku quiet and a real presence at the heart of his side’s defence. Made few mistakes and led by example from the back. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Samuel Umtiti - 7 Should have done better in dealing with a dangerous ball from the right moments before the break; almost handed Lukaku a goal-scoring opportunity as a result. Headed home the all-important winner. Defensively solid for most of the game. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Lucas Hernandez - 6 Unafraid to push on from the back. Happy picking up play from deep and surging forward. Positioning on point. EPA World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings N'golo Kante - 7 His reading of the game was as impressive as ever as he set about disrupting Belgium’s midfield. Typically effective in breaking up play and intercepting passes. Often found himself kick-starting France’s rapid-fire counter-attacks. AP World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Paul Pogba - 8 Showed some slick feet-work when surging forward and was consistent as ever with his forward passes. Disciplined in tracking and dealing with Fellaini too. More than happy to fulfil his defensive duties. A well-rounded performance in all. What a tournament it's been for him. AP World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Kylian Mbappe - 8 Made his presence immediately felt after the first whistle with a surging sprint down the right before delivering a dangerous ball into the ball. Was utterly fantastic all night long with his pace, trickery and vision. Provided Giroud with a number of goal-scoring opportunities and used his speed to mount repeated French breaks. Well on his way to becoming football’s next big thing. AP World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Antoine Griezmann - 7 His link-up play was superb. Kept running all game long as he set about harassing Belgium’s defence and making those all-important runs in the channels. Missed a few chances outside the box, mind. AP World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Blaise Matuidi - 7 Let loose with a stinging first-half chance that made Courtois think but never properly tested the French keeper. A nuisance in midfield with his relentless energy and press. Never stopped working. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Olivier Giroud - 6 Got down low in the box to threaten with a header that came close to putting France ahead. Not good enough, though, when meeting a sublime squared cross from Mbappe 10 minutes before the break. Lacked the final product in and around Belgium’s box. REUTERS World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Thibaut Courtois - 6 Could he maybe have saved Umtiti’s header? Asides from that he wasn’t overly tested in between the sticks. Faced just two shots on target. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Toby Alderweireld - 7 Did well under pressure to get a shot off on goal from inside France’s box during the first half but was denied by Lloris. Like his teammates, struggled with Mbappe’s pace. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Vincent Kompany - 6 Did well in keeping Giroud under wraps as he repeatedly threw his body on the line to muscle the Frenchman off the ball or block his shots. Composed at the back throughout the game. EPA World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Jan Vertonghen - 6 Excellent distribution from out the back, picking out Belgium’s high-pressing wide men throughout the match. Had his hands full with Mbappe and certainly found himself exposed on more than one occasion. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Axel Witsel - 6 Fired off a superb, stinging strike late on in the game that Lloris did well to push clear. Some of his balls forward from deep were particularly impressive. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Nacer Chadli - 6 Pushed on down the flank throughout the match but failed to provide his teammates with any real service. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Moussa Dembele - 6 Conceded a few sloppy fouls here and there, often in dangerous positions. But put in a vitally important goal-denying block on Giroud to stop the Frenchman from scoring after he’d been threaded through by Mbappe. AP World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Marouane Fellaini - 6 Came agonisingly close in the second half after beating Pogba in the air to nod the ball millimetres wide of Lloris’ left-hand side post. Should have asserted himself more against Umtiti for the Frenchman’s goal. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Kevin De Bruyne - 6 Not his best performance. Created a number of chances in the first half but was somewhat subdued during the second 45 minutes. Even guilty of misplacing a pass here and there. Getty Images World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Romelu Lukaku - 6 Failed to find the target with what should have been a clear-cut header after the restart. After proving so effective against Brazil, this was a quieter display from the forward. EPA World Cup: France vs Belgium player ratings Eden Hazard - 7 A menacing presence with his mazy runs down the left and through the centre of the pitch. Pulled an early chance wide of the French goal. Started brightly as one of Belgium’s best players but not as effective in the second half. AFP/Getty Images

In a break from diplomatic etiquette, French president Emmanuel Macron attended the semi-final in St Petersburg - a highly unusual move, with politicians often only attending the final.

The move could irritate Britain, given the UK government's decision to keep dignitaries away from the World Cup because of alleged poison attacks being carried out by the Russians on UK soil.

France will face either England or Croatia in the World Cup final on Sunday - their third since winning the trophy in 1998.