Algeria
Today's Talking Points
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1Algeria's World Cup ended in the Round of 32, beaten 2-0 by Switzerland in Vancouver on July 2 — goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye did the damage. It's Algeria's first knockout appearance since 2014, so there's genuine pride in how they got here, even in defeat.
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2The standout moment was the final group game: a breathless 3-3 draw with Austria in Kansas City that sent Algeria through as one of the best third-placed teams, despite having lost their opener 3-0 to Argentina. Captain Riyad Mahrez scored twice and set up a third in that game — the kind of night a captain dreams about.
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3Mahrez, 35, missed the 2018 and 2022 World Cups entirely, so this tournament was billed as unfinished business for him personally. He delivered in the one game that mattered most, even if Algeria couldn't carry the momentum past Switzerland.
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4Mahrez is the name to drop — the long-time Manchester City winger, still doing it at 35 for his country. Mention his two goals and an assist in that mad Austria draw and you'll sound like you actually watched it, not just skimmed the group tables.
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5Algeria go home having done more than most expected of a third-placed qualifier, with Mahrez's near-perfect night against Austria as the lasting image. There's enough coming through underneath him — Amoura, Belaili — that this feels like a changing of the guard rather than a full reset.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Algeria go out having drawn 3-3 with Austria in maybe the maddest group game of the tournament, with Mahrez pulling the strings at 35 — not bad for someone who spent the last two World Cups watching from home.
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Avoid saying
Anything implying Algeria snuck into the knockouts by accident — third-placed qualification sounds like a technicality, but getting there meant winning a genuine shootout of a group game against Austria. Call it lucky and a real fan will correct you.