After 12 long years, Algeria are back at the FIFA World Cup. The two-time African champions sailed through the qualifiers on a dominant form, winning eight of their 10 fixtures and losing just once to book a direct place in the finals.
The Greens were then drawn in a challenging group with defending champions Argentina, debutants Jordan and Austria, who qualified after a longer gap than Algeria at 28 years, as Vladimir Petkovic's side aim to reach the knockout stages.
So far, their preparations have been going smoothly too: in three friendly games post the AFCON tournament, the Desert Warriors have won twice and drawn once, but didn't concede any goal, even shutting out the mighty Netherlands in Rotterdam last week.
Packed with talented stars all across the field, this Algerian side could stir a real surprise. And among the players to watch out is our very own Ramy Bensebaini, Dortmund's defensive gladiator ready to take the international stage by storm.
His participation at the World Cup was in doubt earlier on as the defender was still recovering from an injury he sustained at the end of April which also forced him out of Dortmund's last three games of the season. Bensebaini was also dropped from Algeria's preliminary squad but made the cut to Petkovic's final 26-man squad.
What Bensebaini brings to Algeria
A tall, left-footed defender known for his exemplary work-ethic and game-reading ability, Ramy Bensebaini wrote his name among Europe's best centre-backs last season.
The Algerian's intimidating physical presence and composed ball-handling skills made him a key player in BVB's defensive set-up. It will also be vital while going up against players like Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, both of whom will pose grave danger to Algerian defense.
Standing at 1.87 metres, Bensebaini's towering stature allows him to pose an attacking threat from set-pieces too. In fact, he scored five goals in the Bundesliga for Dortmund last season, the joint-most in the division alongside Nico Schlotterbeck.
How has Bensebaini performed with Algeria
Although he received his first senior call-up with Algeria in 2015, Bensebaini only made his international debut for the side in January 2017 in a Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match against Mauritania.
The defender was part of their AFCON squad in 2024 and 2025, featuring more prominently for the second one in which he started four of their five games in the run-up to quarter-finals, playing a starring role in defense.
With 81 caps to his name, Bensebaini is the senior-most in the Algerian squad after only Aissa Mandi (117) and Riyad Mahrez (114).
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