One of the most decorated figures in Algerian football history has closed the book on his 12-year national team career. Riyad Mahrez, the long-serving captain of Algeria’s men’s national side, has formally announced his retirement from international football, just hours after his team crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 round of 32 defeat to Switzerland in Vancouver.
At 35 years old, the winger made the confirmation directly to reporters following the final whistle, bringing an end to a storied international career that included 120 senior appearances and 40 goals for the North African side, nicknamed the Desert Foxes. Reflecting on the match that marked his final outing, Mahrez acknowledged that uncharacteristic errors cost his side a result they believed was well within their grasp. “The goal was to progress, and I think it was a game that was within our reach,” Mahrez said. “We conceded two goals on mistakes, and at this level, we pay dearly for that.” When pressed on whether the Vancouver clash would be his last World Cup appearance, he made his retirement clear: “It’s my last appearance even with the national team. It was my last game.”
Mahrez leaves international football as one of the most statistically accomplished players in Algeria’s men’s football history. His 120 caps rank him second on the nation’s all-time appearance list, only three behind his current national team teammate Aissa Mandi, who has 123. On the scoring charts, his 40 international goals also place him second, just nine goals behind Islam Slimani’s all-time record of 49.
The high point of Mahrez’s captaincy came at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he led Algeria to their first continental title in nearly three decades. His performance in that tournament remains one of the most iconic moments in Algerian sport: he scored a dramatic stoppage-time free-kick to defeat Nigeria in the semi-final, before the side overcame Senegal in the final to lift the trophy. It stands as the crowning achievement of his international career.
Even in his final World Cup campaign, Mahrez turned in a record-breaking performance for Algeria. This tournament marked his most productive World Cup outing ever, with three direct goal contributions across four matches: two goals against Austria and one assist against Jordan. No other Algerian player has ever notched more goal involvements in a single World Cup edition. He also earned a place in the history books as the second-oldest African player to ever start a World Cup knockout stage match, with only Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye recording an older starting appearance earlier in this same tournament.
Born and raised in France, Mahrez made the decision to represent his ancestral Algeria at the international level back in 2013. He earned his first senior cap for the side in early 2014, just ahead of that year’s World Cup in Brazil, where he helped Algeria reach the round of 16. Over the following 12 years, he cemented his status as one of the greatest footballers to ever wear the Algerian national jersey, becoming one of just a small group of Algerian players to hit the 100-cap milestone for his country. Off the international pitch, Mahrez also built a legendary club career in the English Premier League, winning a league title with Leicester City in 2016 before claiming multiple domestic and European honours during a spell at Manchester City. He currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.