Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has retired from international football following his country’s 2-0 defeat by Switzerland in the World Cup last 32.
The 35-year-old confirmed the decision in the aftermath of the match in Vancouver, ending a 12-year career with the Desert Foxes.
Mahrez earned 120 caps and scored 40 goals for Algeria across his international career, cementing his status as one of the country’s greatest ever players.
“The goal was to progress, and I think it was a game that was within our reach,” Mahrez said after the final whistle in Vancouver.
“We conceded two goals on mistakes, and at this level, we pay dearly for that,” he added, reflecting on the costly errors that ended Algeria’s World Cup campaign.
Asked directly whether the defeat would be his last appearance for Algeria, Mahrez left no room for doubt. “It’s my last appearance even with the national team. It was my last game.”
Mahrez finishes as Algeria’s second-most capped player, behind only team-mate Aissa Mandi’s 123 appearances, and second on the all-time scoring list behind Islam Slimani’s 49 goals.
He captained Algeria to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2019, scoring a memorable stoppage-time free-kick in the semi-final against Nigeria before his side defeated Senegal in the final.
That triumph ended a 29-year wait for continental glory, with Algeria lifting the title for the first time since 1990 under Mahrez’s influential captaincy.
The former Leicester City and Manchester City winger enjoyed his finest World Cup campaign this summer, registering three goal involvements across four matches in the tournament.
He scored twice against Austria and provided an assist against Jordan, with no Algerian player ever recording more goal involvements in a single edition of the World Cup.
Mahrez also became the second-oldest African player to start a World Cup knockout match during the tournament, behind only Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye earlier in the competition.
Born in France, Mahrez chose to represent Algeria in 2013 and made his international debut ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He reached the last 16 at that first tournament and went on to become one of only a handful of Algerian players to surpass 100 international appearances during a distinguished career.
His retirement marks the end of a remarkable chapter for Algerian football, with the nation now facing a significant rebuild ahead of future international competitions.
