Al Ahly star and Algerian international Riyad Mahrez led his country's national team to qualify for the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after an exciting 3-3 draw against Austria, with Mahrez's teammates advancing as one of the best third-placed teams. Mahrez etched his name in golden letters among Algerian and Arab World Cup legends, becoming the second Algerian player to score a brace in a single match after Saleh Assad, who scored a brace against Chile in the 1982 World Cup.

Mahrez also became the fifth Arab player in World Cup history to score two goals in a single match, following Egypt's Abdelrahman Fawzi (two goals against Hungary in 1934), Algeria's Saleh Assad (against Chile in 1982), Morocco's Abdelrazak Khairi (against Portugal in 1986), and Morocco's Salaheddine Bassir (against Scotland in 1998). Mahrez joined Algeria's all-time World Cup scorers list alongside Islam Slimani, Saleh Assad, and Abdelmoumene Djabou, each with two goals. Mahrez still has a chance to break the tie and top the list if he scores against Switzerland in the upcoming Round of 32 match.