Algeria right-winger Riyad Mahrez has announced his retirement from international football. The announcement comes in the aftermath of Algeria’s 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday.
“This was my final match for the national team,” the former Manchester City player told BeIN Sports after the match.
Riyad Mahrez’s international career
Riyad Mahrez signs off from international football with 113 caps and having scored 39 goals. Mahrez, who currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, won the African Footballer of the Year award in 2016.
Three years later, he played a crucial role in Algeria’s 2019 African Cup of Nations title win. He scored three goals from seven games in that tournament.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mahrez scored a brace for Algeria in their group stage match against Austria, which ended in a 3-3 thriller.
The African side finished third in Group J with four points from three games and qualified for the round of 32 as one of the top eight third-placed sides.
In the match, Algeria began promisingly, holding the majority of the ball in the opening 10 minutes. However, Switzerland opened the scoring through Breel Embolo in the 10th minute, and Algeria were already under pressure.
The European side went into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead, and they doubled their lead early on in the second half. Algerian defender Rafik Belghali attempted to clear the danger, but his clearance was half-hearted as the ball eventually fell to Dan Ndoye just outside the penalty box.
Ndoye controlled the loose ball and fired in a low effort as the ball went past the Algerian defenders as well as goalkeeper Luca Zidane.
“Our aim was to go through, and I think it was a game we could have won,” Mahrez said after the game. “But we conceded twice on mistakes, and at this level, you can’t get away with it. There are always positives to take away from matches: we did manage to get out of the group stage, but we conceded too many goals to aspire to more. This was my last match with Algeria,” he added.
This is for the first time since the 1938 edition that Switzerland have won a knockout match. The Granit Xhaka-led side will next take on the winner of Colombia vs Ghana in Vancouver on 7 July.