- Mahrez Announces Retirement From International Football After Algeria’s World Cup Exit
- The winger ended his Algeria career with 119 appearances.
- Mahrez won the 2019 AFCON title with the Desert Warriors.
Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has announced his retirement from international football following his country’s 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Akpabio Makes Demand From Senators Over State Police
- JUST IN: State Police Move Gains Momentum as Tinubu Sends Bill to Senate
- Malami Appears in Court Over ₦8.7bn Trial
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the 35 year old confirmed after Friday’s loss in Vancouver that the match marked the end of his international career, bringing to a close more than a decade of service with the Desert Warriors.
Reflecting on Algeria’s elimination, Mahrez admitted the team had missed an opportunity to progress further in the tournament.
“We aimed to go through and I think it was a game we could have won,” Mahrez said.
“But we conceded twice on mistakes and at this level, you can’t get away with it. There are always positives to take away from matches: we did manage to get out of the group stage, but we conceded too many goals to aspire to more. This was my last match with Algeria.”
Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also confirmed the announcement, posting on social media: “OFFICIAL: Riyad Mahrez announces his retirement from international football, he’s told BeIN Sports. 85 G/A in 119 games for Algeria.”
Mahrez retires as one of the greatest players in Algeria’s football history. He captained the Desert Warriors to victory at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, memorably scoring a dramatic stoppage time free kick against Nigeria in the semi finals before lifting the trophy.
Over the course of his international career, Mahrez recorded 85 goal involvements in 119 appearances for Algeria.
Algeria’s World Cup campaign came to an end after defensive mistakes allowed Switzerland to take control of the Round of 32 encounter.
Breel Embolo opened the scoring in the first half before Dan Ndoye doubled Switzerland’s advantage shortly after the restart to seal qualification for the Round of 16.
Mahrez, who scored twice in Algeria’s dramatic 3-3 group stage draw against Austria to help secure qualification for the knockout stage, was substituted in the 71st minute, bringing an emotional end to his distinguished international career.
