Algeria

The post-Mahrez rebuild

Djamel Belmadi has blooded a new generation since the 2022 qualifying disaster against Cameroon. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Chaïbi (21) and Ajax’s Ahmetcan Kaplan (20) anchor the rebuild, while veterans like Ismaël Bennacer and Baghdad Bounedjah provide spine. The Fennec Foxes’ pressing game remains, but with less individual brilliance now Mahrez has retired. Their 5-1 friendly loss to South Africa in March 2024 exposed defensive gaps that must close before 2026.

Group stage déjà vu

Algeria’s best World Cup moment came in 2014 — a last-16 exit after beating South Korea and drawing Russia in Group H. Their 1982 squad infamously exited undefeated due to West Germany and Austria’s Disgrace of Gijón. Drawn in one of the weaker 2026 groups (A–L), they’ll target third-place progression. The CAF qualifiers showed vulnerability on the road, losing to Uganda in June 2023.

North America’s heat trap

Algeria’s 2014 success in Brazil’s humidity bodes well for matches in Houston or Monterrey. But their high-energy style risks fatigue if drawn for back-to-back games in Dallas (102°F record highs) versus cooler Vancouver. Belmadi’s men struggled in Qatar’s air-conditioned stadiums — natural heat suits them better than climate control. Their opener could define the campaign; in 2014, they shocked Belgium before collapsing late.

Group standings

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Algeria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Argentina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Austria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Jordan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Fixtures & results

Match	Date	Group	Score	Status
Argentina vs AlgeriaEstadio Kansas City	Wed, Jun 17, 2026 · 02:00 ET	j	–	Scheduled
Jordan vs AlgeriaEstadio San Francisco Bay Area	Tue, Jun 23, 2026 · 04:00 ET	j	–	Scheduled
Algeria vs AustriaEstadio Kansas City	Sun, Jun 28, 2026 · 03:00 ET	j	–	Scheduled