Algeria has become the fourth African nation to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup, joining Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt—all from the northern region of the continent.

A convincing 3-0 victory over Somalia ensured Algeria topped Group G during the African qualifiers with one match remaining, marking their return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.

Led by Riyad Mahrez and coached by former Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria will compete in next year’s expanded 48-team tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This will be Algeria’s fifth appearance at the World Cup, with their only advancement beyond the group stage having occurred in 2014 when they were eliminated by Germany in the round of 16. A total of nine African teams will qualify directly, with the last group winners determined soon as their final matches are concluded.

Despite the match taking place in Algeria, it was technically a home game for Somalia, hosted at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex. Fans enjoyed an impressive performance from Mahrez, who was instrumental, providing assists for Mohamed Amoura and scoring himself.

As the qualifiers complete, Uganda holds the second position in the group, trailing Algeria by four points after defeating Botswana, while Mozambique fell to Guinea.

Despite challenges, Algeria aims to replicate Morocco’s historic achievement of reaching the semifinals during the 2022 tournament in Qatar.