5 current superstars who could have played for France

Manchester City's French contingent could have been bigger
Manchester City's French contingent could have been bigger

#2 Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

Mahrez played for Algeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Mahrez played for Algeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Riyad Mahrez was born in Sarcelles, France, to an Algerian father and a mother of Algerian and Moroccan descent. Growing up, he would spend his holidays in Algeria and one of his childhood friends is French international Wissam Ben Yedder.

Mahrez expressed his desire to play for Algeria in November 2013 when he was playing at club level for Le Havre. He was included in the Algerian squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup but the Algerian media was critical of his inclusion in the squad and there were claims that he paid the manager Vahid Halilhodžić for a placed in the squad.

The former Leicester City star only played for Algeria in the first game of the World Cup and was dropped for the subsequent games as they reached the quarterfinal. However, Mahrez went on to become an influential member of the national team after the World Cup and has eight goals in 39 games for the Desert Foxes.

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now