Belghali's late equalizer sends Algeria and Austria through at World Cup

Rafik Belghali turned a lost sequence into the goal that changed Group J. The Algeria fullback chased down a ball, slipped past defenders and struck with his left foot for a 1-1 equalizer against Austria, a result that sent both sides into the next round of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The match was played at Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City and sat at the center of the final group-stage math in Group J. FIFA’s match centre listed Algeria v Austria with a kickoff of 02:00 on 28 June 2026, while local time in Kansas City placed the game at 21:00 on 27 June 2026. The timing reflected the tournament’s calendar update across time zones, but the consequence was immediate: the draw settled the standings picture for both teams.

Belghali’s moment carried added weight because of where and how it arrived. In Algeria’s official World Cup squad, Belghali is listed as a defender, under manager Vladimir Petković. That same squad sheet also included Riyad Mahrez, Amine Gouiri, Luca Zidane, Aissa Mandi and Ramy Bensebaïni, part of a roster built for a tournament that FIFA says is its biggest ever, with 48 teams and 104 fixtures.

Algeria entered the group with Argentina, Austria and Jordan in Group J, and FIFA framed the final-stage matchup with Austria as decisive for qualification. The point from the 1-1 draw was enough to keep Algeria alive and to send Austria through as well, ending the group with both teams on the right side of the cut line. In a World Cup expanded to 48 nations, one improvised left-footed finish in Kansas City was enough to redraw the path forward for two national teams.