Algeria has announced its decision to host the upcoming football matches of the Palestine national team, in response to a request from the Palestinian Football Association.
Palestine is set to kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign in the Asian section next month. Their initial qualifier against Lebanon on November 16, originally scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates, will now take place in Algeria.
A ‘home’ match against Australia five days later looks set to be played in north Africa.
Following the attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas on 7 October, which tragically claimed more than 1,400 lives, the Gaza Strip has faced retaliatory air strikes. These strikes have resulted in nearly 3,000 fatalities. There are indications that Israelis are poised to launch a ground offensive in the near future.
“The president of the Algerian Football Federation, Mr Walid Sadi, announces that our country will host the official Palestine-Australia match, scheduled for November,” the Algerian federation wrote on its website.
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The statement added that the decision to host “all official and unofficial matches as part of the Palestinian football team’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers” was taken “in accordance with Algeria’s leading authorities”.
The Algerian federation also assured that it will cover all expenses, including transportation and accommodation, associated with Palestine's stay.
The initial stages of the 2026 World Cup qualification in Asia serve as simultaneous qualifiers for the continent's premier football tournament, the Asian Cup.
The Palestinian Football Association, whose national stadium is based in the West Bank, has sought external help as the regional conflict intensifies, stating that the Asian Football Confederation has asked it to stage the Australia match in a neutral venue.
Algeria’s agreement to host Palestine internationals will require approval from football’s world governing body, Fifa.
Just last week, Palestine's preparations for the upcoming qualifiers were disrupted when the team abruptly withdrew from the Merdeka Cup tournament in Malaysia, citing the escalating conflict with Israel.
Furthermore, due to the ongoing conflict, Israel's 2024 European Championship qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo were postponed by the European governing body Uefa.
