Algeria secured its place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 3–0 victory over Somalia on Thursday night, becoming the fourth African nation to book a ticket to the global showpiece. The Desert Foxes produced a dominant display in Algiers, maintaining their unbeaten run in the CAF qualification campaign.
Goals from Riyad Mahrez, Mohammed Amoura (who scored twice) sealed the comprehensive win as Djamel Belmadi’s men showed their quality and intent early on.
Mahrez opened the scoring with a trademark left-foot finish in the 18th minute before Slimani doubled the advantage just before halftime. Belaïli capped off the performance with a curling strike in the second half, confirming Algeria’s qualification with a game to spare.
The result cements Algeria’s return to the world stage after missing out on Qatar 2022, restoring pride for a nation eager to reassert its footballing pedigree.
With this victory, Algeria joins Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria as the African teams confirmed for the expanded 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Desert Foxes will now turn their focus to fine-tuning preparations ahead of their seventh World Cup appearance, aiming to replicate or surpass their 2014 quarter-final heroics.
