How Algeria became Lawrence's World Cup team
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Fan holding up an Algeria scarf. Photo: Courtesy of the City of Lawrence.
Lawrence has thrown Algeria's World Cup team a welcome bigger than the city ever planned ahead of Tuesday's match.
Why it matters: The welcome has gone viral, turning a Midwestern college town into a national story while giving Algeria a genuine home crowd before it faces a heavy favorite, Argentina.
Catch up quick: Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas Jayhawks and right outside KC, was chosen as Algeria's base camp, where the team stays for as long as it advances in the tournament.
- The team rolled in after midnight on June 8, greeted by flag-waving fans who waited out the thunderstorms just to see Algeria's players.
Zoom in: Lawrence built the welcome around what it already does with its festivals, arts and music rather than anything new, Mayor Brad Finkeldei told Axios.
- The KU marching band learned Algeria's national anthem, "Kassaman," and played it as hundreds packed an open practice at Rock Chalk Park, many wrapped in green, white and red.
- Players signed autographs and ran a clinic for local kids, and a Lawrence bar's welcome video in Arabic and French drew nearly a million views.
- World-renowned local artist Stan Herd even carved a quarter-acre Algerian flag into a hillside in Lawrence, shaped from grass and mulch.
What they're saying: "We've embraced them, and they've embraced us," Finkeldei said, adding that Lawrence will be "rooting for Algeria" on Tuesday.
- The street crowds — as many Lawrence residents as visiting fans — "came to us as a surprise," Finkeldei said.
- Fans lined K-10 to watch the team bus pass, a response that surprised organizers, KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer said.
- Finkeldei isn't worried about the bond fading. "This is just the start of the relationship," he said. "We haven't even played a game yet."
💭 My thought bubble: The marching band learning the Algerian national anthem is so wholesome, and every interview with a local who's become a die-hard Algeria fan gets me a little emotional.
- I love that we can show the world the hospitality and kindness the Midwest is known for.
What's next: Algeria plays its first World Cup match since 2014 on Tuesday, facing defending champion Argentina and star player Lionel Messi at 8pm at Kansas City Stadium. The match airs on Fox and Telemundo.
- Lawrence is throwing a street party from 3 to 8pm on the 700 block of Massachusetts Street and then will show the match inside Liberty Hall.