Crushed 3-0 by Argentina, Algeria Already Turns Against Petkovic Over Contract Extension Signed Before World Cup

Algeria began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a severe defeat against Lionel Messi’s Argentina, losing 3-0 in the night of Tuesday to Wednesday in Kansas City. Author of a hat-trick, Messi exposed the tactical shortcomings of the Fennecs, triggering a wave of criticism directed at manager Vladimir Petkovic.

Fan anger is all the more intense because the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) had extended the Swiss coach through 2028 just days before the tournament kicked off. Journalist Abdellah Boulma ironized on X: “And I forgot… They had the brilliant idea of extending Petkovic through 2028. A few days before the World Cup…”

Criticism does not stop there. The Algérie Football Média account lamented the complete absence of a game plan: “The guy neither parked the bus nor pressed, he offered nothing. No anti-Messi plan, no plan A, no plan B, nothing.” The Squadra Khadra account was even more direct, calling Petkovic an “impostor” and a “clown,” and demanding “drastic measures” from the FAF against a manager they claim earns 165,000 euros per month.

Faced with the storm, Petkovic refused to give in to catastrophism at his press conference. “We faced a team that was superior to us, he acknowledged. It would have been an immense achievement if we had left with a point today.” The manager recalled that the two other teams in the group will also have to face Argentina, and that Algeria’s fate remains in their hands. “It is essential to refocus for the matches against Jordan and Austria. We must not dwell on the three goals conceded, but find a bit more balance.”

Qualification now depends on two victories in the upcoming group matches, or else the pressure on Petkovic—and on the FAF—will intensify even further.