Mahrez scores twice as Algeria draws Austria to reach knockout stage

Riyad Mahrez scored twice, including a 90+3 minute strike that looked like the winner, as Algeria drew Austria 3-3 at Kansas City Stadium and both teams advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32. The 35-year-old winger again delivered Algeria’s biggest moments on the biggest stage, but Sasa Kalajdzic answered in the 90+5 minute to keep Austria alive and leave Algeria with a point instead of a statement win.

The final Group J match swung back and forth from the start. Belghali put Algeria in front in the 41st minute, only for Austria to respond through Marko Arnautovic in the 28th minute and Marcel Sabitzer in the 55th. Mahrez then took over, first equalizing in the 60th minute with a left-footed finish and then striking again deep into stoppage time to seemingly send Algeria through with all three points. Kalajdzic’s last-gasp equalizer changed that script in the closing seconds.

For Algeria, the draw carried added weight because the team had returned to the World Cup after a 12-year absence and sealed qualification in November 2025 during its CAF campaign. The result confirmed Algeria’s fifth appearance at football’s biggest stage, and Mahrez remained central to that run as one of the key names in qualification. Against Austria, the veteran once more supplied the goals when the match tightened and the pressure rose.

The match also sharpened the question of depth around him. Algeria got a goal from Belghali and enough attacking quality to stay in the game, but the closing sequence showed how much the team still leans on Mahrez to produce in decisive moments. With Austria and Algeria both through to the Round of 32, the draw did not end their tournament hopes. It did, however, underline that Algeria’s survival still runs through a familiar left foot and the veteran who keeps finding the moments that matter.