Algeria (the Fennecs, as the North African side are known) will make their fifth World Cup appearance at the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026, having missed the previous two editions in Russia and Qatar. The side, currently ranked 28th in the world by FIFA, qualified by winning an African group that included Uganda, Guinea, Mozambique, Botswana and Somalia, and carry a storied if inconsistent tournament history — most notably their landmark 1982 victory over West Germany, the first time an African or Arab team had beaten a European side at a World Cup. Led by coach Vladimir Petkovic and captained by veteran forward Riyad Mahrez, who has confirmed 2026 will be his final World Cup, Algeria open Group J against defending champions Argentina in Kansas City on 16 June.