Riyad Mahrez is done playing for Algeria. The 35-year-old winger announced his retirement from international football Friday morning, shortly after Algeria’s 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the World Cup Round of 32.
He walks away with 119 caps and a legacy that’s essentially untouchable in Algerian soccer. Mahrez was the star of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, the guy who sent Algeria to the final with that last-second free kick against Nigeria. The kind of moment that gets replayed for decades.
And now it’s over. No more appearances in the green jersey. No more late-game heroics for the Desert Foxes.
A career that changed everything
Mahrez didn’t just play for Algeria. He dragged them into the conversation. Before he came along, the national team had good players but never that one guy who could flip a game by himself. Mahrez was that guy. His dribbling, his left foot, his ability to score from nowhere — it all added up to something Algeria hadn’t really had before.
The AFCON win in 2019 was the peak. That tournament, Mahrez was unplayable. The free kick against Nigeria in the semifinal? Ball goes up, crowd goes quiet, and then it’s in the back of the net with practically no time left. Nigeria didn’t even have a chance to respond. That goal alone makes him a legend in the country.
He played his last World Cup match against Switzerland on Thursday. It didn’t go well. Algeria couldn’t generate much offensively, and Switzerland was clinical when it mattered. A disappointing end for a player who gave the team everything he had for more than a decade.
What’s next for Mahrez
He’s still under contract with his club (no word yet on whether he’ll extend or move on), but internationally, the chapter is closed. Mahrez didn’t make a big show of it — just a straightforward announcement after the match. No press conference, no drama. Just a thank you and a goodbye.
Algeria now has to figure out life without him. That’s not going to be easy. Players like Mahrez don’t grow on trees, and the team doesn’t have an obvious replacement waiting in the wings. The next generation will have to step up, but they’ve got massive shoes to fill.
For now, Algerian fans are left with the memories. That free kick. The trophy. The years of watching one of the best players in their history do something special every time he stepped on the field.
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