The captain of the Algerian national team, Riyad Mahrez, has formally declared that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be his final big international event in the national color. The 34-year-old winger, who has been playing in Saudi Arabia with Al Ahli, remains a talisman in Algeria and has steered them to qualify with a brilliant performance against Somalia in a three-goal win.
Mahrez contributed to the second and the third goal of Algeria and his scoring and assisting power demonstrated that his role will not fade away. I controlled the game in the beginning and in the end it had ended, he said after the game. Now we look at AFCON-but 2026 will be my final world cup yes.
With 33 goals in 106 international matches, it is not just about the numbers that Mahrez contributes. He has been a person of consistency and professionalism, especially as the Algerian team went on a golden run to the 2019 AFCON championship. His leadership has played a significant role in creating a strong and self-assured team that is still among the best in Africa.
The question that arises now to the football world is whether Mahrez could end his international career on the best note possible. The 2026 world cup will be not only a goodbye, but also an opportunity to redeem itself following the failure by Algeria to qualify in the 2022 world cup.
To the Algerian fans, the final dance of Mahrez, will be a feeling of celebration of a player that bore the hopes of over ten years. Whatever may happen, the legacy of Mahrez is safe: the graceful winger that made Algeria one of the modern football giants.
