Algeria says it has agreed to host the Palestine national team’s forthcoming football matches following a request fraom the Palestinian FA.
Palestine are scheduled to start their 2026 World Cup campaign in the Asian section next month.
Their first qualifier, away to Lebanon on 16 November, will be played in the United Arab Emirates.
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 October 7, which left more than 1,400 people dead, the Gaza Strip has been the subject of retaliatory air strikes, which have resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, with the Israelis looking set to launch an imminent ground offensive.
“The president of the Algerian Football Federation, MrWalidSadi, announces that our country will host the official Palestine-Australia match, scheduled for November
the Algerian federation wrote on its website.
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 added that it will pay all costs, such as transport and accommodation, related to Palestine’s stay.
The early rounds of 2026 World Cup qualifying in Asia also double up as qualifiers for the continent’s main football competition, 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.
