Rachid Mekhloufi, celebrated football star and symbol of the Algerian independence struggle, has died at the age of 88, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed on Friday. Known for his football achievements in France and his role in Algeria’s National Liberation Front (FLN) team, Mekhloufi’s legacy is woven deeply into Algerian history.
In 1958, Rachid Mekhloufi left French champions Saint-Etienne mid-season to join other Algerian players in forming the FLN team, a powerful symbol of Algeria’s fight for freedom. President Tebboune praised him as a legendary Algerian footballer, FLN player, national team coach, and former president of the Algerian Football Federation.
Rachid Mekhloufi began his career in Algeria before moving to Saint-Etienne in 1954, where he was instrumental in their 1957 league victory, scoring 25 goals. While on national service, he represented France, winning a world title at the World Military Championship in 1957. However, in April 1958, he chose to leave Les Bleus and his World Cup ambitions behind, joining the FLN team as a statement of solidarity with Algeria’s independence movement.
After Algeria gained independence in 1962, Rachid Mekhloufi returned to Saint-Etienne, helping the club secure multiple league titles and a French Cup. He was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year three times, in 1964, 1966, and 1967.
A leader on and off the pitch, Rachid Mekhloufi played 40 times for the FLN team and captained Algeria’s newly formed national team after independence. Later, he coached Algeria in the 1970s and 1980s and served as the president of the national football federation in 1988.
His passing marks the end of an era, with Rachid Mekhloufi remembered not only as a football great but as a national hero who embodied the spirit of Algeria’s independence movement.