Algerian star Ibrahim Maza dreams of World Cup and Lionel Messi jersey

Algerian attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza has revealed his ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup and admitted he hopes to secure Lionel Messi’s jersey if he gets the opportunity to face Argentina in the future.

Speaking to the Bundesliga, the young Algerian reflected on some of his earliest football memories, recalling the World Cup tournament that had the biggest impact on him and the players who inspired him while growing up.

Asked to name his favourite World Cup, Maza pointed to the 2014 edition in Brazil, a tournament that remains particularly memorable for many Algerian supporters because of the national team’s dramatic encounter against Germany.

“For me, I think it’s the 2014 World Cup, just for the whole atmosphere and everything else, and especially the match between Algeria and Germany.”

The midfielder also looked back on how he experienced the tournament as a young fan, surrounded by relatives and friends while watching the world’s biggest football event unfold.

“Most of the time, I watched it at home with my loved ones, my family and friends. Yeah, it was really nice. We ate, we laughed, we joked around.”

Like many young football enthusiasts, Maza spent countless hours imagining himself in the shoes of some of the game’s biggest stars after watching matches on television.

When asked whether he ever imagined participating in a World Cup himself, the Algerian international explained that he often dreamed about following in the footsteps of the players he admired.

“Sometimes, yes. When we went onto the pitch to play afterwards, we all wanted to be like Neymar or something like that. We imagined ourselves as Messi or Neymar. In goal, you thought you were Neuer and all that, but yeah, we identified with those players.”

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Maza acknowledged that the tournament is firmly on his mind as he continues his development at club and international level.

The prospect of facing reigning world champions Argentina also adds an extra layer of excitement for the attacking midfielder, who grew up watching Messi dominate world football.

“I hope I’ll get a good chance to play there too. The crazy thing is, we’re playing against Argentina, and therefore against Messi, who I grew up watching. I’m going to try to get his jersey. I hope he sees this, maybe. Please, give me your jersey!”

For Maza, the dream of competing on football’s grandest stage remains alive, with the possibility of sharing the pitch with one of his childhood heroes providing even greater motivation ahead of the years to come.