Riyad Mahrez has no intention of extending his international career, and the player has revealed that the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be held in 2026, will be his last one. The Al-Ahli winger has made a hilarious comment mentioning Cristiano Ronaldo stating that he cannot continue a career like the Portuguese superstar.
'I'm not Ronaldo…’: Riyad Mahrez’s cheeky reply on his World Cup longevity
During his media appearance, Mahrez confirmed that this will be the last time he plays at the World Cup. The 34-year-old told the Algerian media:
"This will be my last World Cup. I'm not Ronaldo.”
The Saudi Pro League right winger powered his nation to secure a spot in the tournament next summer as he scored once in his side’s 3-0 victory over Somalia.
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The former Manchester City star has netted 33 goals in his 106 international outings. Meanwhile, Algeria have now qualified for the upcoming footballing event and this will be the fifth time they will be playing in the World Cup. Their last appearance was in 2014 in Brazil and the nation's best performance came in the same year when they reached the Round of 16 for the first time.
Mahrez, during his media appearance after the match vs Somalia, told the reporters that he will “give everything” while representing his nation “in the best possible way."
The Arab country is now the 20th country to have secured a spot at the upcoming World Cup. They are also the fifth Arab nation to do so alongside Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan.