Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has brought an end to his international career following his side’s 2–0 defeat to Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 stage, confirming after the match that he will no longer represent the national team.
Goals from striker Breel Embolo and winger Dan Ndoye secured a 2–0 victory for Switzerland in Friday’s early kickoff, sending them through to the FIFA World Cup last 16, where they will face either Colombia or Ghana in Vancouver next week.
Speaking after the match, Mahrez said the defeat came down to costly mistakes, noting that his side had been competitive but failed to recover after conceding.
“The goal was to progress, and I think it was a game that was within our reach. We conceded two goals on mistakes, and at this level, we pay dearly for that,” Mahrez said, according to the BBC.
He subsequently revealed his decision to retire from international football, confirming that he will no longer represent the Desert Foxes and that the match against Switzerland would be his final appearance for the national team.
"It's my last appearance even with the national team. It was my last game,” Mahrez said.
The 35-year-old winger ends his international career with 120 caps and 40 goals, placing him second on both Algeria’s all-time appearance and scoring lists. Mahrez’s international career spanned more than a decade after he decided to represent Algeria in 2013, having been born in France.
He went on to feature at multiple major tournaments, including his first FIFA World Cup in 2014.
His most significant achievement came in 2019 when he captained Algeria to the Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) title, playing a decisive role in the knockout stages, including a stoppage-time free-kick against Nigeria in the semi-final, before victory over Senegal in the final secured the trophy.
At this year’s World Cup, Mahrez contributed three goal involvements in four matches, scoring twice against Austria and assisting once against Jordan, marking one of his most productive tournament performances.
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