2026 World Cup - Algeria: Riyad Mahrez announces international retirement! (official)

02.07.26 FT World Cup

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Knocked out by Switzerland in the round of 16, Algeria also loses its iconic captain: Riyad Mahrez has announced the end of his international career following the match.

The defeat to Switzerland (2-0) leaves a particularly bitter taste for Algeria. Just minutes after the final whistle, captain Riyad Mahrez ended the speculation about his future with the national team by announcing his international retirement.

"That was my last match with the national team"

Clearly emotional, the Algerian winger did not hide his decision from reporters:

"It's over. That was my last match with the national team."

Reflecting on how the match unfolded, he was also frank about his side's defensive lapses:

"It was a match within our reach. We conceded two goals from mistakes and paid the price. We let in too many goals to hope for anything."

More than a decade in service to the Fennecs

Trained in France at Le Havre, Riyad Mahrez earned his first cap for Algeria in 2014, ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, where he made his debut against Belgium. He scored his first goal a few months later against Malawi, before establishing himself as one of the main faces of the Greens.

His crowning moment came in 2019: as captain of a dominant generation, he led Algeria to continental glory at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo, highlighted by a legendary free kick in the semi-final against Nigeria. He became only the second Algerian captain to lift the trophy, after Rabah Madjer in 1990.

Read also: 2026 World Cup: Algeria exit, Switzerland's run continues (2-0)

In March 2025, Mahrez became the seventh player in Fennecs history to reach 100 international caps, achieving the milestone in a match against Botswana. Heading into this 2026 World Cup, he already boasted over 100 appearances (119), around forty goals and as many assists in national colors—one of the most complete records in Algerian football history.

An international career crowned by a final World Cup campaign

This 2026 World Cup turned out to be his last major tournament with the Fennecs, twelve years after his first appearance in 2014. An exit at the round of 16 marks the end of an extraordinary chapter for a player many already consider the most decorated Algerian of his generation, with his 2019 continental title and a club career laden with national and international honors.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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