Riyad Mahrez Announces Retirement from International Football Following Algeria’s World Cup Exit
BY Dr. Hana Saada
VANCOUVER — Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez announced his retirement from international football on Friday, bringing the curtain down on one of the most accomplished international careers in the country’s football history moments after Algeria’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 35-year-old winger confirmed that Algeria’s 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in the Round of 32 would mark his final appearance for the national team, ending more than 12 years of international service during which he established himself as one of the defining figures of modern Algerian football.
Mahrez leaves the national team after making 119 international appearances and scoring 40 goals, ranking among Algeria’s most-capped players and all-time leading scorers. His international career was crowned by the country’s triumph at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he captained the Desert Foxes to their second continental title and cemented his place among the nation’s footballing icons.
Speaking after the defeat in Vancouver, Mahrez described representing Algeria as both an honour and a lifelong dream, saying the time had come for a new generation to lead the national team. While expressing disappointment at Algeria’s World Cup exit, he reflected on a career marked by both memorable successes and difficult moments.
Mahrez’s retirement closes a remarkable international chapter that paralleled one of the most decorated club careers ever achieved by an Algerian footballer. After playing a central role in Leicester City’s historic 2015-16 Premier League title-winning campaign, he enjoyed sustained success with Manchester City, winning multiple domestic honours and the UEFA Champions League, before joining Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
His departure marks the end of an era for Algerian football, with Mahrez widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest players and among Africa’s most accomplished footballers of his generation.
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