Algeria is a country in North Africa that has produced many great football players. These players have made a big impact in both national and international football. They are known for their skills, smart playing, and ability to score goals.
Top Goal Scorers For Algeria Football Team All-Time
Here are the top 5 goal scorers for the Algeria football team of all time.
1. Islam Slimani
- Career Span: 2012–present
- Matches: 93
- Goals: 41
- Average: 0.44
Islam Slimani is the highest goal scorer in the history of the Algeria football team. He started playing for the senior national team in 2010 when he was called up for a game against Libya. In 2012, he was selected for World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations match. He scored his first international goals in these matches, including a brace against Gambia.
Slimani played in the 2013 African Football Championship but didn’t score any goals. In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he scored crucial goals against South Korea and Russia in the preliminary rounds. Despite his efforts, Algeria was eliminated in the round of 16 after a 1-2 loss to Germany in extra time.
He was outstanding in the 2014 World Cup, earning Man of the Match awards in games against Russia and South Korea. Slimani continued to represent Algeria in the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2015, 2017, and 2019. In the 2019 tournament, he played a vital role in Algeria winning the championship, including the 1-0 final victory over Senegal.
Slimani has scored a total of 41 goals in 93 international matches, making him Algeria’s all-time leading goal scorer.
2. Abdelhafid Tasfaout
- Career Span: 1990–2002
- Matches: 80
- Goals: 36
- Average: 0.45
Abdelhafid Tasfaout is the second-highest goal scorer for Algeria. He faced a serious head injury during the 2002 African Cup of Nations in Mali when he collided with a player from Mali. It looked very severe, and his teammates were afraid he might have been killed. Thankfully, he survived, but he had a broken nose and swallowed his tongue.
Despite this frightening incident, Tasfaout made a full recovery. He scored a total of 36 goals in 80 matches for the Algeria national team, making him the second-best scorer in the team’s history, right after Islam Slimani.
3. Riyad Mahrez
- Career Span: 2014–present
- Matches: 83
- Goals: 30
- Average: 0.36
Riyad Mahrez, a star player for Manchester City, is the third-highest goal scorer for Algeria. In 2013, when he was playing for Le Havre in the lower division of French football, he was first considered for the Algerian national team.
Once he moved to England and found success, he was called up to the group of 30 players preparing for the 2014 World Cup. He made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against Armenia on May 31, 2014.
4. Rabah Madjer
- Career Span: 1978–1992
- Matches: 86
- Goals: 28
- Average: 0.33
Rabah Madjer is the fourth-highest goal scorer for Algeria. He gained international recognition during the 1982 World Cup in Spain. In a match against Germany, he scored a crucial goal, helping Algeria win 2-1. However, their chances of advancing further were dashed due to a controversial agreement between Germany and Austria.
In the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Algeria couldn’t progress beyond the preliminary round. Madjer’s significant achievement for Algeria came in the 1990 African Championships. The team won their opening game against Nigeria 5-1 and clinched the title with a 1-0 victory against Nigeria in the final. Madjer scored two goals in the tournament and was named the player of the tournament.
Madjer also played in the final of the Afro-Asian Cup of Nations against Iran, where Algeria won the second leg 1-0 after a 1-2 defeat in the first leg. Additionally, he represented Algeria in the 1980 Olympic Football Tournament in Moscow, where the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
5. Lakhdar Belloumi
- Career Span: 1978–1989
- Matches: 100
- Goals: 28
- Average: 0.28
Lakhdar Belloumi is the fifth-highest goal scorer for Algeria. He was a highly skilled midfielder and had a significant impact on Algerian football. In 1980, he became the top scorer at the African Cup of Nations and helped Algeria reach the final against Nigeria. He also played in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, where Algeria reached the quarter-finals.
In 1981, Belloumi qualified for the World Cup with Algeria for the first time and was named Africa’s Footballer of the Year. During the World Cup in Spain, he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Germany, which was Algeria’s first-ever World Cup game. Despite their efforts, Algeria was eliminated in the preliminary round due to goal difference.
Belloumi also participated in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Algeria was in a tough group with Brazil, Spain, and Northern Ireland and was eliminated in the preliminary round, finishing at the bottom of the group.
