Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has announced his retirement from international football after his team’s exit from the World Cup following a 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the Round of 32. The 35-year-old confirmed his decision during his post-match interview, bringing an end to a 12-year-long international career.
Mahrez would be 39 at the time of the next World Cup in 2030, and when asked whether the loss in Vancouver could be his final World Cup appearance, he replied: “It’s my last appearance, even with the national team. It was my last game.”
“The goal was to progress, and I think it was a game that was within our reach. [But] we conceded two goals on mistakes, and at this level, we pay dearly for that.”
Mahrez created a great chance with a cross into the box for Houssem Aouar and had a goal-bound shot of his own blocked by the Swiss defence. But with his side trailing by two goals, he was replaced by young winger Anis Hadji Moussa in the 70th minute. He departed the field to a standing ovation.
It marked a bittersweet end to a fine World Cup campaign this summer, where he registered three goal involvements in four matches. He scored twice against Austria and provided an assist against Jordan. No Algerian player has ever performed better in a single edition of the tournament.
Born in France, Mahrez qualified to represent Algeria through his Algerian father and Algerian-Moroccan mother. He made his debut for the Desert Foxes in 2014, kickstarting a storied career where he made 119 appearances, scored 40 goals and provided 45 assists. He notably captained the Desert Foxes to glory in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring a stoppage-time free-kick winner in the semi-final against Nigeria, before his side beat Senegal in the final to lift their first continental title since 1990.
At club level, he is remembered for his starring role in Leicester City’s fairytale “5000-1” odds Premier League title-winning campaign in 2015/16, making him the first Algerian ever to do so. It was an achievement that also saw him named African Footballer of the Year.
He left Leicester for Manchester City in 2018, where he won four Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the UEFA Champions League. In July 2023, he joined Saudi side Al-Ahli, with whom he won two AFC Champions League Elite trophies and the Saudi Super Cup.