Hazard hopes for a great 2026 World Cup for Algeria, but not against Belgium

Eden Hazard sent a warm message to Algeria during AS Saint-Etienne’s “match of heroes” at Geoffroy-Guichard, but made clear that his Algerian friends will have to give way to Belgium if the two nations face each other at the 2026 World Cup.

“There are many great teams, there are plenty of African continent teams that play well too, so hoping for all my Algerian friends that they will have a good and beautiful World Cup. Well, if they play against Belgium they have to let them win,” said the former Belgium captain to journalist Manel Bouksou.

Author of 33 goals in 126 appearances for Belgium, Hazard will experience this third World Cup of the “golden generation” era as a spectator. He was approached by Rudi Garcia when the French coach took over the Red Devils, but ultimately did not join his former manager at Losc on the staff.

Vladimir Petkovic’s Algeria will have their work cut out from the start of the 2026 World Cup, with a first match against Lionel Messi’s Argentina, before matches against Jordan and Austria.

The two nations remember their only World Cup meeting: in Brazil in 2014, Belgium won 2-1 thanks to goals from Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens, set up by Eden Hazard, after Sofiane Feghouli opened the scoring from the penalty spot. A certain Riyad Mahrez, 23 at the time, was already in the starting lineup for Algeria.

Hazard also paid tribute to the former Manchester City winger: “Riyad is still there. Having played against him, he is a special talent so we can do something good.” Mahrez, Premier League champion with Leicester in 2016 and four-time champion with Manchester City between 2018 and 2023, also won the UEFA Champions League in 2023 with the Manchester club.