Amine Gouiri celebrated Algeria’s first World Cup victory in 12 years by jumping the barriers to embrace fans. The 3-1 qualifying win over Botswana in March 2025 sealed a spot in the expanded 2026 tournament.
Gouiri, 26, now a key forward at Olympique de Marseille, has 11 goals and 5 assists this season. He scored twice in a pre-tournament friendly against Bolivia.
Algeria’s coach Vladimir Petkovic blends veteran Riyad Mahrez with emerging talents like Gouiri and Mohamed Amoura. The Desert Foxes last reached the Round of 16 in 2014, losing to Germany in extra time.