Guatemala vs Algeria: International Friendly Preview and Prediction
Algeria will continue their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an international friendly against Guatemala on Friday at the Stade Luigi Ferraris in Genoa. The Greens have one more friendly scheduled against Uruguay before the World Cup, while for Guatemala, this marks their final outing for a while as they look to end their international break on a positive note.
Algeria’s Road to the World Cup
Drawn in CAF Group G, Algeria secured World Cup qualification with ease, collecting 25 points from 10 matches – seven clear of both Uganda and Mozambique. The Desert Warriors began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Somalia and suffered just one defeat across the two-year qualification period, demonstrating their consistency in booking their place at the tournament in the USA.
They recorded eight wins and a draw during the qualifiers, with their only setback being a narrow 1-0 loss to Guinea. Algeria also impressed in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, winning all three matches, although a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria ended their journey in the knockout phase. Vladimir Petkovic’s side have opened the scoring in seven of their last eight matches and will be keen to fine-tune preparations for the main event.
Guatemala’s Qualifying Campaign
In contrast, Guatemala endured a difficult World Cup qualifying campaign and ultimately fell short of reaching the tournament. Luis Fernando Tena’s side finished second behind Jamaica in the second round to progress further, but ended up third in the final stage, four points adrift of Panama.
The Mayans made a slow start, suffering a 1-0 defeat to El Salvador before dropping further points against Panama and Suriname. They attempted to revive their campaign with wins over El Salvador and Suriname, but a 3-2 defeat to Panama ultimately ended their hopes of qualification. While this friendly carries little competitive significance for Guatemala, they will still be eager to put in a strong performance and prove they can compete with higher-ranked opposition.
Recent Form
- Algeria form (all competitions): LWWWWL
- Guatemala form (all competitions): DDWLWL
Team News
Vladimir Petkovic has named six new players in his 27-man squad for the World Cup warm-up fixtures, including Kilian Belazzoug and Melvin Mastil. Around 11 players from the previous Africa Cup of Nations squad have been left out. Ismael Bennacer is unavailable due to a knee injury, while Ilan Kebbal (thigh), Jaouen Hadjam (ankle) and Samir Sophian Chergui (thigh) are also sidelined.
Fernando Tena, meanwhile, has no major injury concerns, with defender Aaron Herrera the only confirmed absentee due to a leg injury. Kenderson Navarro impressed in the narrow 1-0 defeat to Canada and could retain his place.
Possible Starting Lineups
Algeria possible starting lineup: Zidane; Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Nouri; Boudaoui, Zerrouki; Mahrez, Maza, Chaibi; Amoura
Guatemala possible starting lineup: Navarro; Morales, Samayoa, Pinto, Ardon; Munoz, Franco, Castellanos; Avila Jr, Lom, Santis
Prediction
Algeria will be keen to build momentum ahead of the World Cup and are expected to approach this fixture with full focus against a Guatemala side that has struggled defensively. The Greens have found the net in seven of their previous eight outings, and given their attacking quality, they should be targeting more than just a single goal. For more detailed data analysis and potential scorelines, check out Score Prediction.
Written by Saikat Mandal
