Monday Jun 01, 2026. 12:00
Algeria will be appearing at their fifth World Cup, and a first since back-to-back showings in 2010 and 2014. The Greens will open their Group J campaign in North America with a clash against reigning champions Argentina, before facing Jordan and Austria – with the latter representing a grudge match that dates back to 1982 and the infamous “Disgrace of Gijon”.
Coached by Bosnian Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria secured their ticket for the World Cup by topping Group G in the CAF qualifiers, suffering just one defeat in their 10 matches against Uganda, Mozambique, Guinea, Botswana and Somalia.
Captained by the talismanic Riyad Mahrez, the Greens’ key players include veteran defenders Aissa Mandi and Ramy Bensebaini, Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri, midfielders Fares Chaibi and Ismael Bennacer, and forwards Mohamed Amoura and Baghdad Bounedjah.
Nickname: The Fennecs/The Greens
Previous World Cup appearances: 4 (1982, 1986, 2010, 2014)
Best World Cup performance: Round of 16 (2014)
World Cup record: P13 W3 D3 L7 GF13 GA19
2026 Qualification record: P10 W8 D1 L1 GF24 GA8
2026 World Cup fixtures (Group J, times CAT)
– Argentina v Algeria, Wednesday 17 June, 03:00
– Jordan v Algeria, Tuesday 23 June, 05:00
– Algeria v Austria, Sunday 28 June, 04:00
Head coach: Vladimir Petkovic
Though he is not a hugely popular figure in Algeria, Vladimir Petkovic deserves great credit for the Greens’ strong showing in World Cup qualification – returning the North African nation to the global tournament for the first time since 2014.
Captain: Riyad Mahrez
A veteran of well over 100 caps for Algeria, captain Riyad Mahrez remains a talismanic figure. Blessed with one of the best first touches in the business, and a sweet left-foot, Mahrez will need to provide both leadership and attacking inspiration in North America.
Key player: Ismael Bennacer
A reliable midfield metronome, Ismael Bennacer was the player of the tournament when Algeria won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. This will be the 28-year-old’s first World Cup and the Greens will be leaning on his efficiency and intelligence in the ‘engine room’.