🇩🇿AlgeriaNorth Africa
Algeria to face Switzerland in World Cup 2026 Round of 16
via Algérie3602 min read
Algeria's national football team, the Fennecs, have qualified for the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup and will play Switzerland on Friday, July 3, at 4:00 AM Algerian time, at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. Algeria secured their spot after a 3-3 draw against Austria, finishing as one of the best third-placed teams. Despite being behind twice, goals from Rafik Belghali and captain Riyad Mahrez helped Algeria earn the crucial point. Switzerland, led by Murat Yakın, finished first in Group B with 7 points, having drawn with Qatar 1-1 and secured victories against Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 and Canada 2-1. This match holds particular significance for Vladimir Petkovic, who coached the Swiss national team from 2014 to 2021. Historically, Switzerland has won both previous friendly encounters against Algeria in the 1980s. This will be the first official match between the two nations. The Fennecs, driven by their group stage resilience, aim to make history by reaching the quarterfinals, which would mark a significant achievement for Algerian football.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Algérie360.
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The Algerian national team has qualified for the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup as one of the best third-placed teams after a 3-3 draw against Austria. Algeria will now face Switzerland on July 3 in Vancouver, Canada. This match holds particular significance for Algeria's national coach, Vladimir Petkovic, who previously coached the Swiss national team from 2014 to 2021. The match against Austria saw a physically intense first half, with Austria's Arnautovic opening the scoring in the 28th minute. Algeria equalized just before halftime with a goal from Belghali in the 45th minute. Austria regained the lead in the 55th minute through Salbitzer, but Mahrez leveled the score for Algeria in the 60th minute. The game remained tied until a dramatic injury time, where Mahrez scored Algeria's third goal in the 90+3 minute, only for Kalajdzic to equalize for Austria moments later, ending the match in a 3-3 draw.
Ahead of the Algeria-Austria match, Vladimir Petkovic's starting lineup has been revealed, featuring four changes from the previous game against Jordan. A notable change is Oussama Benbot starting as goalkeeper instead of Luca Zidane. Jaouen Hadjam will play on the left flank, replacing Rayan Ait-Nouri, while Rafik Belghali retains his position on the right. The central defense remains unchanged with Ramy Bensebaini and Aissa Mandi. The midfield sees Nabil Bentaleb and Houssam Aouar starting, with Ibrahim Maza continuing in his playmaking role. In attack, Riyad Mahrez will be on the right wing, Farès Chaïbi on the left, and Amine Gouiri as the main striker.