Algeria World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. The plan Algeria are one of this World Cup’s great unknowns. On paper, this team has an impressive recent record: a friendly victory over the Netherlands made it 21 wins, four draws and three defeats from 28 matches under Vladimir Petkovic, with 67 goals scored. The problem is that it has been achieved against generally poor-quality opposition. Algeria’s qualifying campaign was a breeze, with Guinea and Mozambique – both considered Pot C sides on the continent – being their sternest tests. The most reliable gauge of their true level was the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they produced some of the tournament’s most compelling football. The Fennecs toyed with various formations, playing a classic flat four, reinforcing defence with five and even using a 4-3-3 with two full-backs, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Jaouen Hadjam, on the left flank. They pressed intensely, dominated possession, patiently built from goal kicks, and fluidly progressed the ball through defensive lines. Then came Nigeria in the quarter-finals and everything unravelled. …