Riyad Mahrez profile: latest news as the Algeria great joins Al-Shamal
Riyad Mahrez has joined Qatari club Al-Shamal after leaving Al-Ahli and retiring from Algeria duty. Our profile covers his latest news, style, career and honours.
Riyad Mahrez has a new club. On 14 October 2026, Qatari side Al-Shamal officially announced the signing of the 35-year-old winger, who had been without a club since leaving Saudi giants Al-Ahli in the summer. It is his first spell in Qatar and in the Qatar Stars League, and it closes a remarkable few months in which Mahrez also ended his 12-year international career with Algeria. This Riyad Mahrez profile looks at the latest news from Doha, the player he still is, and the long road from northern France to the top of English and Asian football.
Riyad Mahrez latest news: signing for Al-Shamal in Qatar
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and the Egyptian outlet Youm7, Mahrez flew to Doha to complete his medical before the club made the deal public. He signed his contract in the presence of Al-Shamal's head of football, Mishal Al-Ali, and the announcement immediately made him the most decorated name in the club's squad.
The length of the agreement and any financial terms were not included in the reports we reviewed. Some Arab outlets have spoken of a one-season contract with an option, but that detail has not been confirmed, and Yalla Shoot will update this profile once the club publishes the terms.
The move ends a period of uncertainty. Mahrez had been a free agent since early July, and for a player of his profile the question was never whether there would be interest, but which project would suit him at this stage of his career. Al-Shamal offer him a fresh league, regular football and a leading role in the dressing room.
The end of the Al-Ahli chapter
On 4 July 2026, Al-Ahli confirmed that Mahrez was leaving after three seasons in Jeddah. Reuters figures show how productive that spell was: 122 appearances in all competitions, 37 goals and 46 assists. Those numbers underline that he was far more than a marquee name in the Saudi Pro League; he was one of the team's main sources of chances and goals.
The trophies matched the output. With Al-Ahli, Mahrez won back-to-back titles in the AFC Champions League Elite, giving him a continental crown in Asia to add to the one he had already won in Europe. Few players can say they have lifted the top club trophy on two different continents.
Al-Ahli spell at a glance
- Seasons: three (2023 to 2026)
- Appearances: 122 in all competitions
- Goals: 37
- Assists: 46
- Major honours: two AFC Champions League Elite titles
Playing style: the left foot that defined an era
Mahrez has always been a left-footed winger who starts on the right flank and drifts inside. His close control in tight spaces, his ability to wrong-foot defenders with a shift of the hips and his curling finishes towards the far post became his trademark in the Premier League. He is also a reliable taker of free kicks and corners, and his weighted crosses and through balls explain the high assist count he kept up in Saudi Arabia.
At 35, the explosive bursts of his Leicester days are naturally less frequent, but his game has never relied purely on speed. Vision, technique and calm decision-making in the final third are the qualities Al-Shamal have signed, and they tend to age well.
Career path: from Sarcelles to Doha
Born in Sarcelles, France, in 1991, Mahrez took an unconventional route to stardom. He played for Quimper and then Le Havre before Leicester City brought him to England in January 2014. Two years later he was a key figure in Leicester's 2015-16 Premier League title, one of the greatest shocks in the history of English football.
In July 2018 he joined Manchester City for a then club-record fee reported at around £60 million. Under the brightest spotlight in England he won multiple Premier League titles and was part of the 2022-23 squad that won the treble, including the club's first Champions League. In summer 2023 he moved to Al-Ahli for a reported £30 million plus add-ons.
| Period | Club | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Early career | Quimper | First steps in French football |
| Until January 2014 | Le Havre | Breakthrough in professional football |
| 2014 to 2018 | Leicester City | 2015-16 Premier League champion |
| 2018 to 2023 | Manchester City | Multiple league titles, 2022-23 treble |
| 2023 to 2026 | Al-Ahli | 122 games, 37 goals, 46 assists |
| From October 2026 | Al-Shamal | First spell in Qatar |
Honours and records
Mahrez's trophy cabinet is among the richest of any African player of his generation. The highlights:
- Premier League champion with Leicester City in 2015-16
- PFA Players' Player of the Year for 2015-16, the first African to win the award
- Multiple Premier League titles with Manchester City
- UEFA Champions League winner as part of City's 2022-23 treble-winning squad
- Two AFC Champions League Elite titles with Al-Ahli
- Africa Cup of Nations winner with Algeria in 2019, as captain
International career: Algeria's captain and second-highest scorer
Born in France, Mahrez chose to represent Algeria and became one of the defining players in the country's history. He was part of the team that reached the last 16 of the 2014 World Cup, the first time Algeria had reached that stage, and five years later he captained the Desert Foxes to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt.
His final tournament came at the 2026 World Cup, where he led Algeria into the knockout stage. The run ended in the round of 32 against Switzerland on 2 July 2026 at BC Place in Vancouver. Two days later, Mahrez announced his international retirement after 12 years, finishing with 119 caps, 40 goals and 45 assists. Only one player has scored more goals for Algeria. The Algerian Football Federation paid tribute to him as a "natural leader".
What's next for Riyad Mahrez
With international duty behind him, Mahrez can focus entirely on club football. His immediate task is to settle in a new country and a new league, build an understanding with his Al-Shamal team-mates and add creativity and experience to the side. For the Qatar Stars League, the arrival of a Premier League, Champions League and Africa Cup of Nations winner is a major boost in profile.
Key questions remain open, including the exact length of his deal, and we will follow every development. Track Al-Shamal and the rest of the region's fixtures on our matches page, and keep checking Yalla Shoot for the latest Riyad Mahrez news.