Algeria out of the World Cup after defeat to Switzerland
Algeria lost 2 to 0 to Switzerland in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup and went out of the tournament. Riyad Mahrez retired from international football after the match.
The match was played in Vancouver on Friday 3 July. In their group Algeria lost 3 to 0 to Argentina, beat Jordan 2 to 1 and drew 3 to 3 with Austria, then qualified as one of the best third-placed teams.
It was Algeria's first World Cup in 12 years. Coach Vladimir Petkovic, in post since February 2024 and a former Switzerland coach, faced strong criticism of his tactics and of leaving out experienced players such as Baghdad Bounedjah, Youcef Belaïli and Ismaël Bennacer.
Petkovic said that qualifying after 12 years and passing a round was an excellent result. He was replaced in September by Brahim Hemdani.
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