Algerian star Riyad Mahrez has announced his retirement from international football following his country's exit from the World Cup.
2
Switzerland
0
Algeria
America 2026
Finished
06:00
Riyad Mahrez
Club: Al-Ahli
Algeria
America 2026
The Algerian national team bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup after losing 2-0 to Switzerland in the Round of 32.
Riyad Mahrez told beIN SPORTS: "This was my last match with the Algerian national team."
He added, "Our goal was to qualify for the Round of 16, especially since the match was within reach, but when you make two mistakes, you pay the price immediately, and that is what happened."
He concluded his remarks, "I have spent 12 exceptional years with my country's national team, and I don't know how many matches I played, but I am proud of what I have contributed. It is time for me to leave and leave room for the new generation to write its own history and give its best."
🇩🇿 Algerian star Riyad Mahrez announces his retirement from international football.#WorldCup2026 | #Mundial2026 | #WorldCup#beINWC26 | #FIFAWorldCup2026 | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ss8ULSwa3H
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 3, 2026
At 35 years and 131 days old, Riyad Mahrez became the second-oldest African player to start in a World Cup knockout match, after Senegal's Idrissa Gana Gueye (36 years and 278 days) against Belgium in the Round of 32 of the current edition.
Riyad Mahrez's journey with the Algerian national team ended after he won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title with them and scored two goals in the current edition of the World Cup.
The Swiss national team booked a spot in the Round of 16 of the World Cup and is waiting for the winner of the Colombia vs. Ghana match.
The Swiss team broke their knockout stage curse in the World Cup, winning for the first time since the 1938 edition, after 7 knockout matches without a victory.
The Algerian national team has not achieved any victory in its last 10 World Cup matches against European teams, managing only 4 draws and 6 losses.
