Luca Zidane, the 27-year-old son of French football legend Zinedine Zidane, has officially switched his international allegiance from France to Algeria, opening the door for him to feature at the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA approved the Granada goalkeeper’s change of association, following his past appearances for France at youth level. The decision comes as Algeria looks to strengthen its goalkeeping options ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers.
In the past year, the North African side has rotated between four goalkeepers — Alexis Guendouz, Oussama Benbot, Anthony Mandrea, and Alexandre Oukidja — but none have fully secured the number-one spot. Luca Zidane’s arrival could provide the stability the team has long sought.
A graduate of Real Madrid’s famed academy, Luca is the second of Zinedine Zidane’s four sons to come through the Spanish giants’ youth system. He made two senior appearances for Real Madrid, before stints in La Liga with Rayo Vallecano and in Spain’s second tier with Eibar and now Granada.
Although he previously represented France at youth level, including the U-20s, he was required to formally switch allegiance to play for Algeria. His eligibility stems from his father’s Algerian heritage, as Zinedine Zidane’s parents were from the Kabylie region.
Algeria remain strong contenders to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America, with a key qualifier against Somalia on the horizon.
Meanwhile, his father, Zinedine Zidane, etched his name into football history by leading France to their first World Cup triumph in 1998. He also famously ended his international career with a red card in the 2006 World Cup final loss to Italy.