World Cup 2026: Why Sahrawis are rallying behind Algeria and not Morocco

World Cup 2026: Why Sahrawis are rallying behind Algeria and not Morocco Habibulah Mohamed Lamin on Fri, 06/19/2026 - 09:15 Support for Algeria is rooted in almost five decades of refuge and a shared political struggle Sahrawi children play football in the Smara refugee camp in Algeria's Tindouf province in February 2016 (Farouk Batiche/AFP) Off Dust hangs in the desert air like smoke, swirling above a football pitch carved from hardened earth. It's late afternoon, and despite the heat not easing, a group of young men and teenage boys have gathered to play their weekly football match. Each time one of the players runs to get the ball, an orange cloud rises into the air. On this makeshift football pitch at the Smara refugee camp in southwestern Algeria, love for the beautiful game runs deep. For the locals watching on, conversation is also tied to one subject: the World Cup taking place thousands of miles away. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "I think Algeria's team is going to do well," Hafdala Mohamed, one of those in attendance, tells Middle East Eye. For Mohamed, like many in Algeria's sprawling Sahrawi refugee camps, football is more than entertainment. It's one of the few constants in a life shaped by exile. 'My support for Algeria is unconditional' - Brahim Salem, Sahrawi refugee "We play at least once every week," his friend Khalil says, smiling as the teams begin arguing over sides. Across the camps, football shapes daily life. Children play in dusty streets as families gather around bulky televisions to watch major tournaments. Now, as the World Cup unfolds in the US, Canada and Mexico, attention is turning almost entirely towards one team: Algeria. Support runs deep For many Sahrawis, support for Algeria is rooted in history as much as football. Today, more than 173,000 Sahrawi refugees live in refugee camps in Algeria, according to the UN. Most of them fled Western Sahara following Spain's withdrawal from the territory in the 1970s and the outbreak of war between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the movement seeking independence for Western Sahara. Western Sahara explained + Show - Hide Western Sahara is a largely desert expanse (266,000 sq km) in the northwest of Africa that is bordered by the Atlantic, Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. Its indigenous people are the Sahrawis, who mostly speak Hassaniya, an Arabic dialect. The region was colonised by Spain during the late 19th century and later became known as the Spanish Sahara. Morocco, parts of which were also a former Spanish colony, has long made claims on the region. In November 1975, King Hassan II of Morocco sent 350,000 civilians and 25,000 troops into what was still Spanish territory, as part of what became known as the "Green March". Fearing that conflict with Morocco would destabilise the government at home, as it had done with other European colonial powers like France (in Algeria) and Portugal (in Angola), Spain rapidly departed Western Sahara, cutting a secret deal with Morocco and Mauritania, the latter of which also claimed close links to the area. Signed in the last week of fascist leader General Francisco Franco’s life, the Madrid Accords removed the Sahrawis and their chief representatives, the Polisario Front, from the equation. Two thirds of the territory was given to Morocco, and one third was given to Mauritania. When Morocco and Mauritania entered Western Sahara in 1975, war began with the Polisario Front, and thousands of Sahrawis were forced to flee to refugee camps in Algeria. Their place has been taken by Moroccan settlers, who have been incentivised to move into the region by Rabat and who now make up the majority of Western Sahara's population. Polisario, which seeks independence for the territory and is backed by Algeria, defeated Mauritania in 1979. The land won in this war is now known to Sahrawis as the "liberated territories", a largely uninhabited stretch of desert to the east of Morocco's 2,700 km-long border wall. A 1991 ceasefire broke down in November 2020. There has been sporadic fighting since then. Timeline 1884: Spain declares Western Sahara a protectorate on 26 December. The Spanish meet immediate resistance from the Sahrawis. 1956: Morocco gains independence from France and Spain on 2 March. 1957: At the United Nations, Morocco makes its first modern claim on Western Sahara (certain treaties from the 17th and 18th centuries included Moroccan claims to some of the region). 1958: Spain creates the overseas province of Spanish Sahara on 10 January. 1966: Creation of the Harakat Tahrir, or the Movement for the Liberation of Saguia al-Hamra and Wadi al-Dhahab. It campaigns for a peaceful end to Spanish rule and self-determination for Western Sahara. 1970: A Harakat Tahrir protest in Laayoune on 17 June is brutally suppressed by Spanish forces, resulting in at least 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The movement disbands. 1973: Creation of the Polisario Front on 10 May to represent the Sahrawis. 1974: Spain announces on 20 August that it will hold a referendum to decide the future of the region in the first half of the following year. Morocco rejects the idea. The UN asks the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion. 1975 The ICJ rules in a non-binding decision that while there were legal ties between Western Sahara and Morocco and Mauritania, these did not “establish any tie of territorial sovereignty”; also that such legal ties did not apply to "self-determination through the free and genuine expression of the will of the peoples of the territory”. 31 October: Morocco invades Western Sahara from the north. 6 November: At the urging of King Hassan II, an estimated 350,000 unarmed Moroccans cross into Sakiya Lhmra in support of territorial claims in an event that becomes known as the Green March (below). Spanish troops are ordered to let them pass to avoid bloodshed. 14 November: Fearing conflict with Morocco, Spanish support for Sahrawi self-determination falters. Under the Madrid Accords, Western Sahara is ceded to Morocco (the northern two-thirds of the territory) and Mauritania (the remaining south). While the deal states that the views of the indigenous population need to be respected, no Sahrawi representatives are present at the talks due to Moroccan insistence. 1976: Spain announces its official withdrawal from Western Sahara on 26 February. A day later, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is declared by the Polisario Front. With support from Algeria and Libya, it fights on against both Morocco and Mauritania, its forces bolstered by refugees. 1979: After three years of attacks by the Polisario Front, which have destabilised the country, Mauritania is forced to withdraw and renounces its claim on the region on 5 August. It recognises the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco takes much of the territory previously controlled by Mauritania. 1980 onwards: Sporadic fighting continues between Morocco and Polisario. A giant sand wall is built between Western Sahara and southwest Morocco to deter attacks by Sahrawis. “The berm” will eventually extend 2,700km and take seven years to complete. 1991: Ceasefire declared on 6 September under the peacekeeping mission United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Its purpose is to monitor the cessation of fighting, including the movement of troops on both sides; repatriate prisoners and refugees; and conduct a referendum in 1992. The UN recognises Western Sahara as a "non-self-governing territory". 1992: No referendum takes place, amid a dispute as to who can vote. 1997: The Houston Agreement, coordinated by James Baker, UN representative and former US secretary of state, fails to restart plans for a referendum. 2003: The UN-sponsored Baker Plan, intended to replace the Settlement Plan, stalls amid Moroccan opposition to any referendum. 2020 13 November: The Polisario Front says on 13 November that the ceasefire has come to an end after Morocco resumed military operations in a buffer zone. 10 December: The US recognises Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in return for a Morocco-Israel normalisation deal. About 10,000, meanwhile, lived in the 20 percent of Western Sahara held by Polisario, until the conflict renewed between the group and Morocco in 2020 and most of them fled. Almost five decades after Spain's withdrawal, generations of Sahrawis have been born and raised in refugee camps around Tindouf, where Algeria remains the Polisario Front's principal regional ally and the refugees' main host. This relationship has shaped everyday life. Many Sahrawis have studied in Algerian schools and universities, received medical treatment in Algerian institutions and developed family, cultural and political ties that span the border. For many in the camps, Algeria is viewed not only as a host country but as a long-standing partner in their national struggle. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "My support for Algeria is unconditional," Brahim Salem, a resident of the camp, told MEE. "For us, Algeria is not just a neighbour. It's a country that stood against oppression and gave us safety when we needed it most." 'Algeria welcomed us with open arms' Among those supporting Algeria during the tournament is Algalya, now in her late sixties. She recalls arriving in Algeria after fleeing the war. "I remember having nowhere to go, and Algeria welcomed us with open arms," she told MEE. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Her face brightens when she remembers Algeria's victory at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. "When Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations, we celebrated with zaghareet [a traditional Arabic vocal trill or ululation]. People gathered and celebrated late into the night." But beneath the excitement lies a reminder of why support for Algeria carries such emotional weight. World Cup 2026: Bosnia's diaspora generation unites a nation still healing from war Read More » The Sahrawis don't have an internationally recognised team competing in Fifa or other major tournaments. For many of the refugees MEE spoke to, memories of displacement, war and separation from their homeland remain central to their sense of identity. For Brahim, the unresolved conflict helps explain why many Sahrawis identify so strongly with Algeria during international tournaments. "As Sahrawis, we cannot compete officially yet," he says. "So the pride we cannot express on the pitch, we give entirely to Algeria. During every tournament, we are their most loyal supporters." That loyalty has been reinforced by decades of political, humanitarian and social ties between Sahrawi refugees and Algeria. In the camps, however, life continues according to familiar rhythms: football matches, shared meals and evenings spent around television screens. For Khalil and Hafdala, the plan for the tournament is already settled. "We will watch all of Algeria's matches together," they say. "No matter how late they are." For Algalya, the hope is simple: "I pray Algeria make us happy again." World Cup 2026 Smara refugee camp, Algeria Why Sahrawis are rallying behind Algeria, and not Morocco, at the World Cup News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Western Sahara is a largely desert expanse (266,000 sq km) in the northwest of Africa that is bordered by the Atlantic, Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. Its indigenous people are the Sahrawis, who mostly speak Hassaniya, an Arabic dialect.

The region was colonised by Spain during the late 19th century and later became known as the Spanish Sahara. Morocco, parts of which were also a former Spanish colony, has long made claims on the region.

In November 1975, King Hassan II of Morocco sent 350,000 civilians and 25,000 troops into what was still Spanish territory, as part of what became known as the "Green March".

Fearing that conflict with Morocco would destabilise the government at home, as it had done with other European colonial powers like France (in Algeria) and Portugal (in Angola), Spain rapidly departed Western Sahara, cutting a secret deal with Morocco and Mauritania, the latter of which also claimed close links to the area.

Signed in the last week of fascist leader General Francisco Franco’s life, the Madrid Accords removed the Sahrawis and their chief representatives, the Polisario Front, from the equation. Two thirds of the territory was given to Morocco, and one third was given to Mauritania.

When Morocco and Mauritania entered Western Sahara in 1975, war began with the Polisario Front, and thousands of Sahrawis were forced to flee to refugee camps in Algeria. Their place has been taken by Moroccan settlers, who have been incentivised to move into the region by Rabat and who now make up the majority of Western Sahara's population.

Polisario, which seeks independence for the territory and is backed by Algeria, defeated Mauritania in 1979. The land won in this war is now known to Sahrawis as the "liberated territories", a largely uninhabited stretch of desert to the east of Morocco's 2,700 km-long border wall.

A 1991 ceasefire broke down in November 2020. There has been sporadic fighting since then.

1884: Spain declares Western Sahara a protectorate on 26 December. The Spanish meet immediate resistance from the Sahrawis.

1956: Morocco gains independence from France and Spain on 2 March.

1957: At the United Nations, Morocco makes its first modern claim on Western Sahara (certain treaties from the 17th and 18th centuries included Moroccan claims to some of the region).

1958: Spain creates the overseas province of Spanish Sahara on 10 January.

1966: Creation of the Harakat Tahrir, or the Movement for the Liberation of Saguia al-Hamra and Wadi al-Dhahab. It campaigns for a peaceful end to Spanish rule and self-determination for Western Sahara.

1970: A Harakat Tahrir protest in Laayoune on 17 June is brutally suppressed by Spanish forces, resulting in at least 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The movement disbands.

1973: Creation of the Polisario Front on 10 May to represent the Sahrawis.

1974: Spain announces on 20 August that it will hold a referendum to decide the future of the region in the first half of the following year. Morocco rejects the idea. The UN asks the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion.

1975 16 October: The ICJ rules in a non-binding decision that while there were legal ties between Western Sahara and Morocco and Mauritania, these did not “establish any tie of territorial sovereignty”; also that such legal ties did not apply to "self-determination through the free and genuine expression of the will of the peoples of the territory”.

31 October: Morocco invades Western Sahara from the north.

6 November: At the urging of King Hassan II, an estimated 350,000 unarmed Moroccans cross into Sakiya Lhmra in support of territorial claims in an event that becomes known as the Green March (below). Spanish troops are ordered to let them pass to avoid bloodshed.

14 November: Fearing conflict with Morocco, Spanish support for Sahrawi self-determination falters. Under the Madrid Accords, Western Sahara is ceded to Morocco (the northern two-thirds of the territory) and Mauritania (the remaining south). While the deal states that the views of the indigenous population need to be respected, no Sahrawi representatives are present at the talks due to Moroccan insistence.

1976: Spain announces its official withdrawal from Western Sahara on 26 February. A day later, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is declared by the Polisario Front. With support from Algeria and Libya, it fights on against both Morocco and Mauritania, its forces bolstered by refugees.

1979: After three years of attacks by the Polisario Front, which have destabilised the country, Mauritania is forced to withdraw and renounces its claim on the region on 5 August. It recognises the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco takes much of the territory previously controlled by Mauritania.

1980 onwards: Sporadic fighting continues between Morocco and Polisario. A giant sand wall is built between Western Sahara and southwest Morocco to deter attacks by Sahrawis. “The berm” will eventually extend 2,700km and take seven years to complete.

1991: Ceasefire declared on 6 September under the peacekeeping mission United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Its purpose is to monitor the cessation of fighting, including the movement of troops on both sides; repatriate prisoners and refugees; and conduct a referendum in 1992. The UN recognises Western Sahara as a "non-self-governing territory".

1992: No referendum takes place, amid a dispute as to who can vote.

1997: The Houston Agreement, coordinated by James Baker, UN representative and former US secretary of state, fails to restart plans for a referendum.

2003: The UN-sponsored Baker Plan, intended to replace the Settlement Plan, stalls amid Moroccan opposition to any referendum.

13 November: The Polisario Front says on 13 November that the ceasefire has come to an end after Morocco resumed military operations in a buffer zone.

10 December: The US recognises Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in return for a Morocco-Israel normalisation deal.