The Fédération Internationale de Football Association has omitted the Algeria national football team’s 35-match unbeaten streak from its updated global rankings, prompting calls for the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) to file an official complaint. The sporting publication lagazettedufennec.com reported that world football’s governing body removed the historic milestone following Spain’s 40th match without a defeat.
Unbeaten Run Under Djamel Belmadi Excluded From FIFA Rankings
The contested milestone was established during Djamel Belmadi’s tenure as manager of the national side. Under his guidance, the Fennecs put together a 35-game undefeated sequence. That run came to a halt when Equatorial Guinea defeated Algeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations while the team participated as reigning champions.
Despite widespread recognition of that statistical achievement at the time, the governing body’s latest update places Senegal and Morocco as the leading African nations for recent prolonged unbeaten sequences. According to the governing body’s data published by lagazettedufennec.com, Senegal recorded 33 matches without defeat between 2023 and 2025, while Morocco matched that 33-game figure spanning 2025 to 2026.
Contrasting Statements From World Football Governing Body
The current omission stands in direct contrast to previous public statements issued by the organization. In October 2021, the governing body explicitly congratulated Algeria following a victory against Niger that marked the team’s 30th match without a loss. At that specific juncture, Ivory Coast sat four matches behind with a former continental benchmark of 26 games.
Independent statistical bodies previously validated the milestone. The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) officially recognized the Algerian squad’s performance. The discrepancy between those historical records and the current governing body database has intensified local scrutiny over how international streaks are calculated and cataloged.
Next Steps For Algerian Football Federation
Observers await a formal response from the Algerian Football Federation regarding whether the organization will submit a formal challenge to correct the historical record in official publications. The governing body has not issued a public clarification explaining the criteria changes that led to the removal of the 35-match sequence from its active compilation of national team records.
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