Algeria Confirm Their World Cup Readiness with Impressive Victory Over the Netherlands

Algeria secured a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in an international friendly in Rotterdam as both nations continued their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The win was inspired by an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Luca Zidane and a late winner from Anis Hadj Moussa.

At De Kuip Stadium, the Desert Foxes delivered one of their most convincing displays ahead of the global showpiece, successfully withstanding sustained Dutch pressure for most of the match before snatching the winning goal in the closing stages, underlining their ability to compete against football’s elite nations.

The undisputed star of the evening was goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French football legend Zinedine Zidane. The Algerian shot-stopper played while wearing a protective face mask following the jaw and chin fractures he suffered several weeks ago while playing for Spanish club Granada.

Despite his physical challenges, Zidane produced an exceptional display, making a series of crucial saves to deny the Dutch attack and standing firm as the hosts dominated possession from the opening minutes.

Key Moments from the Match

The Netherlands approached the match with an attacking mindset and enjoyed long spells of possession, attempting to break down Algeria’s defensive structure through constant movement in the final third.

The hosts thought they had taken an early lead when Tijjani Reijnders found the back of the net after a pass behind the defense, but a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside, keeping the score level.

The Orange continued to press forward, with Ryan Gravenberch trying his luck from outside the penalty area, only for Zidane to comfortably gather the effort.

Shortly afterwards, Donyell Malen squandered a golden opportunity after failing to convert a perfect cross in front of goal, before Zidane began his remarkable sequence of saves by brilliantly denying Cody Gakpo’s powerful long-range strike.

The Algerian goalkeeper continued to establish himself as the hero of the match, producing another important save to stop a dangerous effort from Reijnders inside the penalty area.

Algeria, however, were not content to sit back and defend. They looked dangerous on the counter-attack and nearly took the lead when Mohamed Amoura latched onto an excellent pass from Riyad Mahrez, but he failed to make the most of the opportunity and sent his effort wide.

Nabil Bentaleb also tested the Dutch defense with a powerful shot from distance, before Zidane once again came to Algeria’s rescue by stopping Gakpo in a one-on-one situation just before half-time.

At the start of the second half, Serbian coach Vladimir Petković made a series of substitutions to give more players valuable minutes and assess their readiness for the World Cup, while Ronald Koeman also introduced several fresh faces for the Netherlands.

Ibrahim Maza, who replaced Mahrez, came close to opening the scoring with a low effort from outside the area that narrowly missed the post, while Amoura continued to waste opportunities, sending another attempt wide despite finding himself in a promising position.

At the other end, the Dutch kept searching for a breakthrough, but Zidane remained unbeatable. He denied Justin Kluivert before producing another excellent save to stop a powerful strike from Memphis Depay in the closing minutes.

As the match appeared destined to finish goalless, Algeria delivered the decisive blow through substitute Anis Hadj Moussa. The Feyenoord winger collected an excellent pass from Bentaleb on the right flank, surged into the penalty area, beat his marker with impressive skill, and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike into the far corner beyond substitute goalkeeper Robin Roefs to score the winning goal in the 86th minute.

The victory provides Algeria with a significant confidence boost ahead of their final warm-up match against Bolivia next week before the World Cup begins. The North Africans will open their Group J campaign with a challenging encounter against defending champions Argentina, before facing Jordan and Austria.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands will look to bounce back from the defeat when they face Uzbekistan in their final friendly before beginning their World Cup journey in Group F alongside Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.