Fans filled the stands at Rock Chalk Park on Thursday evening as Algeria’s national soccer team opened a ticketed training session ahead of its World Cup group stage matches.
The team took the field for a roughly hourlong session that featured warmups, passing and shooting drills. Players rotated through stations while coaches directed drills, offering fans a close-up look at the team’s preparation.
The event marked one of the few opportunities for the public to see the Algerian team in person after arriving in Lawrence on Sunday. The session drew a mix of local soccer players, families and fans, many wearing Algeria’s green and white colors.
“It was very exciting. I’ve never experienced this before, because last time it was during COVID,” said Robert Curran, who attended the youth training session.
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Following the training, about 60 kids took part in a youth clinic, with several players remaining on the field to work directly with them on skills and drills. The clinic extended the event beyond a typical practice.
“You’re missing out,” youth attendee Sam Reza said. “You could see the players, and if you got lucky, you could actually be with them.”
Team Algeria, which has its base camp in Lawrence, has three group stage matches: June 16, against Argentina, in Kansas City; June 22, against Jordan, in San Francisco; and June 27, against Austria, in Kansas City.
World Cup matches began Thursday, and the final match is set for Sunday, July 19. Six matches are slated for Kansas City between Tuesday, June 16 and Saturday, July 11.
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Courtney Lane (she/her), reporting correspondent, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. Originally from Arkansas, she’s a graduate of KU’s Journalism school, where she worked as a reporter, opinion section editor, and eventually editor-in-chief for The Kansan.
Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.
More coverage: World Cup 2026
Courtney Lane/Lawrence Times
