Goalkeeper Crisis in Algeria Before the World Cup: Zidane, Benbot, or Mastil?

The Algeria National Team, competing in the 2026 World Cup, is experiencing a serious goalkeeper problem before facing Switzerland in the round of 16. Technical director Vladimir Petković gave chances to Luca Zidane and Oussama Benbot respectively in the first two matches of the tournament, but neither player could provide the expected reliability. There are heavy claims in the sports press that the third goalkeeper, Melvin Mastil, could start in the first eleven for the upcoming critical match. Who Petković will task against Switzerland currently stands as the biggest uncertainty. This situation has made Algeria's defense seriously questionable in one of the most critical matches of the tournament.

Algeria's number one goalkeeper since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has been Luca Zidane, son of legendary footballer Zinédine Zidane. The young goalkeeper solidified his status with a heroic performance and crucial saves in the friendly match against the Netherlands on June 3. Playing for Grenada, a second-tier team in Spain, Zidane wore the starting jersey in the opening match of the World Cup against Argentina thanks to this success. However, during that match, where the team was defeated 3-0 by Argentina, he failed to prevent Lionel Messi's three goals, causing a major disappointment. Conceding another goal against Jordan in the third group match, Zidane faced heavy criticism from the fans for his performance, despite the 2-1 victory achieved.

As a result of this intense pressure, technical director Petković decided to entrust the goal to Oussama Benbot, who contributed to USM Alger's championship, against Austria following the Jordan match. However, Benbot also failed to make the expected breakthrough on the field and put in a more lackluster performance than the previous goalkeeper. Failing to prevent all three shots on target from becoming goals during the Austria match, Benbot left the pitch without making a single crucial save. By chance, Algeria scoring three goals to save the match with a 3-3 draw slightly covered up the devastation caused by Benbot's inadequate performance. Despite this, a massive wave of backlash started on social media after the match, and it became almost certain that Benbot would return to the substitute bench in the next match.

Following all these events, Petković has two options left: either to trust Luca Zidane again or to give the third goalkeeper, Melvin Mastil, a chance. According to claims, the technical director is warm to the idea of trying Mastil against the Switzerland team. Mastil, who is 1.94 tall and wears the Stade Nyonnais jersey from the Swiss second league, is considered a physically good goalkeeper, but this decision seems highly risky. The young goalkeeper's lack of top-level experience to handle a high-tension match like a World Cup round of 16 is his greatest weakness. While Zidane's constantly criticized aspect was playing in the Spanish second league, Mastil playing at the Swiss second league level creates a serious contrast, as this league is at a much lower level than Spain's.

This goalkeeper crisis has moved beyond being a purely technical issue, becoming a symbol that exposes the concerning decline in Algerian football. If Mastil makes a mistake against Switzerland, both Petković's preference and his failure to come to the tournament with a clear number one goalkeeper will be heavily questioned. If Zidane or Benbot are played again and make mistakes, it will be questioned why the unpracticed and unsuccessful old prescriptions are being repeated. All these events painfully remind us of the infrastructure problems in Algerian football, which in the past produced world-class legendary goalkeepers such as Mehdi Cerbah, Drid, Mourad Amara, and Lounès Gaouaoui. The failure of the Algerian state and the football federation to produce a high-quality goalkeeper who can successfully represent the national team is clear proof of the deep and structural crisis in the country's football infrastructure.