Algeria gains a new player as Zidane's son announces his switch of national team affiliation, with ambitions to participate in the upcoming World Cup
Algeria's New Goalkeeping Option: Luca Zidane
Luca Zidane, son of France's World Cup-winning midfielder Zinedine Zidane, has switched his international allegiance to Algeria. The move was approved by FIFA on Friday, and the Algerian national team is eager to see if Zidane can bolster their goalkeeping department.
Zidane, a product of the Real Madrid academy like his brothers, has played two matches for Real Madrid and also has La Liga experience at Rayo Vallecano. Over the past four seasons, he has competed in the Spanish second division at Eibar and now Granada.
Zidane's decision to represent Algeria comes after he won caps for France at several junior levels, including under-20. This necessitated a formal change of allegiance to be available for Algeria.
Algeria have used four different goalkeepers over the last year of competitive matches. Alexis Guendouz of Mouloudia Alger is the first-choice goalkeeper for Algeria, but the team is yet to secure a goalkeeper from Zidane's switch of allegiance.
Anthony Mandrea, who competes in the French third division, and Oussama Benbot, who is based in Algeria, have also represented the Algerian national team. However, the Algerian goalkeeper who will represent the team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers instead of Zidane is not explicitly named in the search results.
Algeria are expected to secure a place at the 2026 finals in North America in their qualifier against Somalia next month. Zidane qualifies for Algeria through his father, whose parents hailed from the Kabylie region of Algeria.
Zidane's father, Zinedine, won the World Cup with France in 1998, starring in their home success. However, he was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, where France lost to Italy.
Luca Zidane's switch of allegiance to Algeria adds another intriguing storyline to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. With his La Liga experience and pedigree, he could prove to be a valuable asset for the Algerian national team.
