The connection between the Algeria national team and Lawrence, Kansas is further evidence of football’s power to bring people together. The Desert Foxes have been met with the warmth and hospitality of a community that has welcomed them with open arms since their arrival in this city of nearly 100,000 people.

Around 400 were present to welcome the team as they arrived at their FIFA World Cup 2026™ base camp. The players were taken aback by the show of affection they received.

“I was deeply moved by the welcome we received from the fans in Lawrence. I almost shed a tear,” Vladimir Petković, Algeria’s Bosnian coach, later admitted. “I hope we make it out of the group stage so we can share this adventure with even more fans.”

This sense of connection was on display during a community training session Algeria held at Rock Chalk Park ahead of their World Cup opener, where 2,500 fans turned up at the University of Kansas football stadium that has become the Fennecs’ training base.

“I’m from Lawrence, Kansas, and I came here to support Algeria,” said Matthew Cosgrove, sporting an Algerian shirt. “They’ve become part of our community, and we’re here to get behind them. We’re over the moon they’ve come here and are part of our community. We’re loving it!”

Cosgrove was also wearing one of 2,000 Algeria-coloured scarves handed out by University of Kansas staff who worked with FIFA to organise the community training session.

With a student population of around 27,000 from around the world, the university also embraced the Algerian side as its own, with official mascots (Big Jay and Baby Jay) and cheerleaders taking part in the event, while the band gave a rendition of the Algerian national anthem before training.

“Respect. Thank you for the warm welcome,” Riyad Mahrez, one of the team’s key players, posted on social media.

One moment in particular stood out among all the displays of affection, as local fans adapted the University of Kansas’s famous chant, “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk,” into “Rock Chalk, Algeria.”

Moreover, hundreds of children and young people filled the stands at Rock Chalk Park waving Algerian flags and singing the supporters’ most popular chant, “One two three, Viva L’Algérie!”

The local government also played its part in ensuring this bond reached such a level of connection. For example, it organised a series of classes called “Football 101”, designed to teach local residents the rules of the game and give them an insight into Algeria and its football culture.

It is also true that there is a significant Algerian community in the suburbs of Kansas City, around 60 kilometres from Lawrence, and that social media, with its reach, helped amplify the passion that Algeria generated in Lawrence.

In fact, around 600 people attended the unveiling of a piece by local artist Stan Herd, who created a giant Algerian flag on the university campus using landscaping techniques.

The FIFA World Cup™ has a habit of producing stories of this ilk. Part of the beauty of this competition lies in its ability to connect two such different worlds, separated by more than 8,000 kilometres, and to create a genuine, lifelong bond. At the end of the day, football has the power to bring the world together.