Algeria — Riyad Mahrez's last dance, twelve years in the wilderness, and the Desert Foxes are back

Algeria were not at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. For a nation with genuine football history and talent — a country that produced Riyad Mahrez, one of the most technically gifted wingers of his generation — that absence was not just disappointing. It was a wound. They did not qualify, lost in the play-offs, and watched a tournament that should have featured them from the outside. In 2026 they return, and they return with purpose. Vladimir Petković has assembled a squad around Mahrez — 35 years old now, still capable of moments that make defenders look foolish, openly calling this his final World Cup — and surrounded him with a generation of younger players: Mohamed Amoura, who scored ten goals in qualifying; Ibrahim Maza of Bayer Leverkusen, one of the brightest young midfielders in European football; Rayan Aït-Nouri of Manchester City, an attacking left-back of genuine top-level quality. Algeria are not here to make up the numbers in Group J. They are here to remind the tournament that African football has more depth than the bracket positions suggest, and that a nation that reached the Round of 16 in 2014 and pushed Germany to extra time before losing to the eventual world champions can do it again.

Tactical Identity

Strength: The attacking combination of Mahrez, Amoura, and Aït-Nouri on the left side is one of the most technically dangerous wide partnerships at this tournament. Amoura's pace and clinical finishing — ten qualifying goals, including two penalties against Uganda — gives Algeria a direct goal threat that opponents must specifically plan to contain. Aït-Nouri driving forward from left-back creates overloads that stretch defensive shapes. And Mahrez, when the moment demands it, can still produce the pass or the run that changes a match entirely. This is a side that can hurt you quickly and decisively on the counter. Weakness: The gap between their attacking threat and their defensive reliability when under sustained pressure from top-level opponents. Argentina in Group J are the defending world champions. Austria are one of the most tactically sophisticated teams in European football. Algeria will have the ball less than they would like in both those matches, and their ability to defend compactly for extended periods while Mahrez conserves energy for counter-attacking moments will determine whether they advance or not.

"Mahrez at 35, calling this his last World Cup, opening against Argentina. If that is not a story worth following, I don't know what is. Amoura is the player I want everyone to watch — ten qualifying goals, pace that defenders simply cannot live with, and a World Cup stage to announce himself. Algeria will not win Group J. But they will cause Argentina problems, and if Amoura fires, they could genuinely make the round of 32." — Viviana Reyes, VivaSportsHQ

Key Players

Riyad Mahrez — Forward, captain. One hundred and thirteen caps, thirty-eight international goals, a Premier League title with Manchester City, and the experience of pushing Germany to extra time at a World Cup. At 35 this is his final chapter. He will want to write it well. Mohamed Amoura — Forward. The Wolfsburg striker was Algeria's top scorer in qualifying with ten goals, and brings a pace and directness that makes him one of the most dangerous forwards Algeria has ever sent to a World Cup. This is his moment. Ibrahim Maza — Midfielder. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder is the most exciting young talent in this Algerian squad — technically sophisticated, physically capable, and already operating at Champions League level. He is the future of Algerian football, and 2026 is where that future begins publicly.

Tournament Prediction

Group J is Argentina, Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Argentina will win the group. The second place is between Algeria and Austria — and it is genuinely competitive. Algeria's counter-attacking quality and Amoura's individual threat give them a realistic path to the round of 32 if they take care of business against Jordan and produce a performance against either Argentina or Austria that earns points. Petković has experience of tournament football at this level. The squad has the quality. A round of 32 appearance would end Algeria's twelve-year wait for World Cup relevance in the best possible way.

Viva's Verdict

"Mahrez's last World Cup. Amoura's first real stage. Twelve years since they last qualified. Algeria are back and they are not here to be polite about it. I think they beat Jordan comfortably, push Argentina harder than anyone expects, and make the second place in Group J a genuine contest. The Desert Foxes have teeth. Use that phrase if you want — it is true."

The Road Back

Algeria's absence from Qatar was the low point of a qualifying cycle that should not have gone the way it did. The correction has been swift — Petković arrived, the squad consolidated around a clearer identity, and Amoura emerged as the striker the system had been waiting for. The generation behind Mahrez — Maza, Amoura, Aït-Nouri — is talented enough to sustain Algerian football as a significant force in African football for the next decade. Whatever happens in 2026, the foundations are significantly stronger than they were in 2022.