'If you are born in France why are you playing for Algeria?"

Aissa Mandi is still the player with the most appearances for the Algerian national team, but Islam Slimani, with 46 goals, is the all-time top scorer in the history of Algeria. And as such, he has every right to comment on anything he wants when it comes to the Desert Foxes. Lately, what has been irritating him quite a bit are the many emigrants who seem torn between their country of origin and the country where they were born and raised.

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At first glance, one might assume he was annoyed by Rayan Cherki, who recently chose France over Algeria. However, it seems Slimani is also not too fond of those who did choose Algeria—and there are many of them in the current national team. The aforementioned Mandi, Houssem Aouar, Yassine Benzia, Ismael Bennacer, Riyad Mahrez, Amine Gouiri—just to name a few—all grew up in France and ultimately played for Algeria alongside Slimani. And yet…

“How did you decide to be Algerian? Do others choose whether they're French or English? No. We don’t choose Israel. If you were born in France, if you lived in France, if you spent your whole career there, then why are you playing for Algeria?” Slimani asked on the “Campo” podcast by journalist Smail Bouabdellah.

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And he didn’t stop there.

“I feel like crying when I hear someone say they ‘chose’ the national team. Did you also choose your parents? It hurts when someone tells me: ‘I chose’. Who are you to choose? You just pick a country like that? It’s fine if you come on vacation, that’s not a problem, it’s your parents’ country, your country. But to play football for it? Never in my life” he explained.

We are witnesses that there are literally hundreds of African footballers who are being vowed by their parents‘ country of origin and yet many decide to play for the country they grew up in. And Slimani believes there should be a new rule.

“There should be a rule. You get one call-up—if you refuse, you don’t get another. What are you bringing to us anyway? The team gives to us, not you” Slimani said angrily, clearly believing that most players only choose Algeria because they weren’t good enough to be called up by the French national team.

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

Matchday 2

Thursday

19:00: (1.60) Palmeiras (4.00) Al Ahly Cairo (6.50)

22:00: (4.70) Inter Miami (3.70) Porto (1.85)

Friday

00:55: (8.00) Seattle (4.60) Atletico Madrid (1.40)

04:00: (1.23) PSG (6.50) Botafogo (12.0)

19:00: (1.01) Benfica (17.0) Auckland (95.0)

21:00: (4.40) Flamengo (3.50) Chelsea (1.85)

Saturday

00:55: (1.90) Los Angeles (3.45) Esperance (4.20)

04:00: (1.22) Bayern (6.50) Boca Juniors (12.0)

19:00: (9.00) Mamelodi (5.80) Dortmund (1.30)

22:00: (1.20) Inter Milan (6.75) Urawa RD (14.0)

Sunday

00:55: (1.27) Fluminense (5.60) Ulsan (12.0)

04:00: (2.15) River Plate (3.35) Monterrey (3.45)

19:00: (1.22) Juventus (6.25) Wydad Casablanca (14.0)

22:00: (1.22) Real Madrid (6.50) Pachuca (12.0)

Monday

00:55: (4.10) Salzburg (3.60) Al Hilal (1.88)

04:00: (1.05) Man.City (14.0) Al Ain (35.0)

***odds are subject to change***