Algeria promise to be among the teams to watch at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ when they strut their stuff on the world stage for the first time since 2014 – the year of their memorable Round-of-16 run, which saw them take Germany right to the brink in extra time.
There is no doubt that Vladimir Petkovic’s men will be brimming with belief as they head to the expanded 48-team tournament. Read on to find out more about Les Fennecs and their FIFA World Cup™ story.
Algeria coach: Vladimir Petkovic
Having taken charge of Les Fennecs in February 2024, Petkovic brings a wealth of experience from years on the touchline in Switzerland, with significant spells at Bellinzona and Young Boys under his belt. Following stints in Türkiye and Italy – where he won the 2013 Coppa Italia with Lazio – the seasoned tactician then took the reins of the Swiss national team.
His tenure notably saw the Nati reach the final tournament of the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League, in addition to the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. After guiding the Swiss to the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2020, the Sarajevo-born coach had a brief stopover in the Bordeaux dugout before being handed the top job in Algeria. There, he oversaw five wins and one draw in six CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers to book a spot at the continental competition, before going on to secure a World Cup 2026 spot.
Algeria’s World Cup 2026 fixtures and group
Full World Cup 2026 match schedule
How Algeria qualified for World Cup 2026
Les Verts confirmed their World Cup berth by beating Somalia 3-0 on Matchday 9 of the African preliminaries. Algeria finished the qualifiers with a single defeat – a 2-1 loss at home to Guinea on 6 June 2024 – alongside one draw and eight victories. The driving force behind their qualifying campaign was Mohamed Amoura, whose ten-goal haul put him streets ahead of his closest rivals in Group G, where six other players managed three apiece.
Algeria’s World Cup history
Algeria’s first World Cup
Algeria made their World Cup debut at Spain 1982. With Mahieddine Khalef and Rachid Mekhloufi at the helm, Les Verts recorded two wins out of three matches in Group 2, only to be eliminated on goal difference before the second group phase. Les Fennecs’ campaign had got off to a dream start, when they sprang an upset over Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s West Germany. However, their fortunes dipped in the next game, as Austria handed them a 2-0 setback.
Their third tie, against a Chile side already reeling from two defeats from their first two outings, proved decisive. The Algerians stormed to a 3-0 advantage inside 35 minutes but allowed their opponents back into the game and ultimately had to settle for a nervy 3-2 win. Les Verts’ hopes of progress hinged on Austria’s game against West Germany the next day, where Algeria needed a West Germany win by more than two goals, an Austria win or a draw to progress. In the end, Jupp Derwall’s men edged a narrow 1-0 win in Gijon, sending Algeria packing after the first round.
Algeria’s last World Cup
Algeria last graced the World Cup at Brazil 2014, where they delivered several performances to remember. Les Fennecs enjoyed their best campaign to date, advancing from the group stage for the first time in their history.
Although they were sunk by goals from Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens in a 2-1 defeat against Belgium, they soon redeemed themselves by coming out on top in a free-scoring 4-2 encounter with Son Heungmin’s Korea Republic. In that match, they raced into a 3-0 lead by half-time, courtesy of goals from Islam Slimani, Rafik Halliche and Abdelmoumene Djabou (more on that later). They then clinched a landmark last-16 spot by holding Russia to a 1-1 draw.
In their nation’s first-ever knockout match at the global extravaganza, Vahid Halilhodzic’s charges pushed eventual champions Germany all the way to extra time. “Everyone had us down to concede five, six or seven, but we produced an almost faultless display,” explained Halilhodzic in an exclusive interview with FIFA.
“However, unfortunately, we didn’t manage to come out on top. I remember we were given a standing ovation at the final whistle. Everyone was chanting ‘Algérie, Algérie’. We were the team on everyone’s lips and had become very much the darlings of the tournament. During that tournament, the whole country lived and breathed the team. Everyone put their lives on hold, with some 40 million Algerians tuning in for the match.”
Algeria’s memorable World Cup moments
While Brazil 2014 still represents the North Africans’ finest hour on the World Cup stage, the Maghreb side also achieved several historic milestones 32 years earlier on Spanish soil. Notably, Algeria became the first African nation to defeat European opposition at the global showpiece, West Germany – a feat made all the more remarkable given that this came in Les Fennecs’ maiden World Cup match. Rabah Madjer, who would later become synonymous with the iconic back-heel that he netted for Porto against Bayern Munich in the 1987 European Cup final, had the honour of scoring Les Verts’ very first goal in the competition.
Algeria also became the first African team to notch up two wins at a single World Cup but, as outlined earlier, they were also saddled with the unenviable record of being the first side ever to do so without advancing to the next round.
Algeria’s World Cup top scorers
Algeria’s 13 World Cup goals to date have come from no fewer than ten different sources, with a trio of players netting twice each. While Madjer scored his country’s first-ever World Cup goal in 1982, his team-mate Salah Assad went one better by hitting the mark twice in the 3-2 win against Chile.
Abdelmoumene Djabou and Islam Slimani each struck twice at the 2014 tournament, both finding the net in Les Verts’ 4-2 victory over Korea Republic. The latter – who has 18 World Cup qualifying goals to his name – also equalised against Russia in Algeria’s final group-stage outing to secure their passage to the knockout phase.
In the round of 16, Djabou scored a consolation goal against Germany in the 121st minute, when the Europeans were already 2-0 up. “My two goals put me alongside Salah Assad at the top of Algeria’s World Cup scoring chart,” he reflected at the time. “It’s a huge honour for me. Scoring two World Cup goals is no mean feat, but hard work and perseverance do pay dividends.”
Algeria’s record World Cup appearance maker
Rafik Halliche was practically ever-present in all seven of his team’s matches at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, only being substituted against Germany in extra time. He even wore the captain’s armband against Russia and again in the epic round of 16 clash against Die Mannschaft at Brazil 2014, deputising for usual skipper Madjid Bougherra, who was not at full fitness. The central defender also has one World Cup goal to his name – a thumping header against Korea Republic in 2014.
