Luca, who represents Spanish side Granada in club football, has worn the Algerian colours in seven games so far. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of legendary French footballer Zinedine Zidane, was named in Algeria’s starting lineup for its FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Argentina in Kansas on Wednesday.

This will be Luca’s first World Cup game, having made his international debut with Algeria in 2025.

The 28-year-old, born in France, became eligible to represent Algeria due to his heritage – Zinedine Zidane’s father is Algerian.

Luca, who represents Spanish side Granada in club football, has worn the Algerian colours in seven games. Recently, he helped Algeria reach the quarterfinal in AFCON 2025.

Zinedine Zidane is considered by many to be one of the greatest players to grace the World Cup. He won the title with France in 1998 and finished as runner-up in 2006, winning the Golden Ball in the second occasion.

Published on Jun 17, 2026