Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez is the captain and talisman of the Algeria national team, whose creative brilliance in the 2026 World Cup Group J proved decisive. Appearing in his second World Cup at 35, the veteran winger became the oldest player ever to start a match for Algeria at the tournament, yet delivered one of his most influential performances: seven crosses and three chances created against Jordan, culminating in the corner delivery onto Nadhir Benbouali's head that pulled Algeria level at 1-1 in the 69th minute before Amine Gouiri sealed a 2-1 win.

Born in Sarcelles, France in 1991, Mahrez rose through French football before joining Leicester City in 2014. He was the creative engine behind one of sport's most improbable stories: Leicester's Premier League title in 2015-16, a season in which he won PFA Players' Player of the Year. A £60 million move to Manchester City in 2018 brought four more Premier League titles and a Champions League winners' medal in 2023, cementing him as one of his generation's elite wide players. He joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli in 2023 as part of the wave of European STARs moving to the Gulf.

For Algeria, Mahrez has been the decisive figure at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. His 2019 AFCON winner's medal, when Algeria beat Senegal in the final, stands as The Nation's most recent continental triumph. At the 2026 World Cup, with Algeria needing results to advance past the group stage, he remains the side's chief architect and set-piece deliverer despite his advancing years.