World Cup 2026: Ibrahim Maza laments disallowed goal as Algeria aims to bounce back after Argentina defeat

Algeria midfielder Ibrahim Maza believes the Desert Foxes could have given Argentina a far tougher challenge had an early goal not been ruled out during their 3-0 defeat to the defending champions in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match.

The Bayer Leverkusen youngster was one of Algeria’s brightest performers in Kansas City, but he was left frustrated after seeing what he felt was a potentially game-changing moment chalked off for offside in the opening stages. Algeria thought they had stunned Argentina early on, only for the assistant referee’s flag to deny them the breakthrough.

Reflecting on the defeat, Maza admitted that Lionel Messi’s brilliance ultimately made the difference, but he felt the match could have unfolded very differently.

“There was a good atmosphere, and I wouldn’t say they got the better of us. It’s just that, like at the beginning, if the goal we scored hadn’t been offside, I think it would have been a different match.”

“But it was offside, and Messi scored a hat trick, you know, typical Messi stuff.”

Messi produced a masterclass for Argentina, netting all three goals as the world champions secured a comfortable victory. The performance saw the Argentine captain equal Miroslav Klose’s men’s World Cup scoring record with 16 goals and become the first player to score a World Cup hat-trick at the age of 38.

Despite the scoreline, Maza felt Algeria competed well for large spells of the match but paid the price for defensive lapses and poor decision-making in key moments.

“I think we made mistakes in defense, and also with the final pass in the last third, but we played an okay game.”

The 20-year-old also identified areas that Algeria must improve before facing their remaining Group J opponents.

“We need to stay a bit more compact between the lines to block passes in midfield. We can’t let that happen when there’s such quality at this level.”

Argentina consistently found space between Algeria’s midfield and defensive lines, allowing Messi and his teammates to dictate possession and create chances throughout the contest. Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic echoed similar concerns after the match, acknowledging that defensive mistakes contributed significantly to the defeat.

Maza also highlighted the need for greater efficiency in front of goal.

“And then in the final third, we need to be more clinical. We were unlucky at the start with that offside goal, but after that, we should have created a few more chances.”

While the result leaves Algeria with work to do in Group J, Maza’s confidence suggests the Desert Foxes remain optimistic about their chances of progressing. With matches against Austria and Jordan still to come, Algeria know their World Cup hopes are far from over, but improvements at both ends of the pitch will be essential if they are to keep their knockout-stage ambitions alive.