Soccer leads Algeria, ahead of Handball and Athletics. Ranking of 14 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Algeria by the evidence behind each one, because this ranking is ordered by the weight of the evidence for each sport in the country, not by a single national participation count. Algeria and its federations do not publish one comparable membership figure across all sports, so each entry names what supports its place.
Soccer is on top, followed by Handball and Athletics. The full table below covers 14 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Algeria
The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable.
| # | Sport | Basis for the placing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soccer | By far the largest number of registered clubs and players of any sport in Algeria, and the sport that draws the largest domestic television and stadium audiences. |
| 2 | Handball | Algeria’s men’s national handball team has won the African Men’s Handball Championship more often than any other country, and domestic clubs draw large followings, which places the |
| 3 | Athletics | Algeria has produced multiple Olympic and world medalists in middle distance running, and athletics clubs are widespread in schools and universities across the country. |
| 4 | Boxing | Algerian boxers regularly reach the medal rounds at African and Olympic level, and boxing clubs are common in working class neighborhoods of Algiers, Oran and other large cities. |
| 5 | Volleyball | Both the men’s and women’s national volleyball teams compete regularly at the African Nations Championship, and school level volleyball is common across Algeria. |
| 6 | Basketball | Basketball has an established domestic league and youth club structure, though the national team has been less successful internationally than Algeria’s handball and football teams |
| 7 | Judo | Algerian judokas regularly win medals at African championships and have reached Olympic competition, supported by a wide network of clubs. |
| 8 | Karate | Karate clubs are widespread across Algeria at the grassroots level, and the national federation regularly sends competitors to African and world karate championships. |
| 9 | Cycling | Algeria fields competitive road cyclists at African level, and the sport has an established club and racing calendar organized by the national federation. |
| 10 | Table tennis | Table tennis is commonly practiced in Algerian schools and community clubs, with a national federation running domestic league and championship competition. |
| 11 | Weightlifting | Algerian weightlifters have won medals at African championships, and the sport maintains a smaller but active base of specialized clubs. |
| 12 | Wrestling | Wrestling is practiced through a network of specialized clubs and has produced African championship medalists for Algeria. |
| 13 | Taekwondo | Taekwondo has grown through club level participation in Algeria, with the national federation sending competitors to African and world championships. |
| 14 | Swimming | Swimming is practiced through club and school programs concentrated in coastal cities with pool access, with a national federation running domestic championships. |
Is There a National Sport of Algeria?
Algeria has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No law or government decree establishing an official national sport for Algeria was identified.
- Soccer. Soccer is widely treated as Algeria’s de facto national sport based on its far larger participation base and audience compared with every other sport in the country.
#1 Soccer
- Governing body: Algerian Football Federation (FAF)
- Top national league: Ligue Professionnelle 1
- Best known athlete: Riyad Mahrez. Algeria men’s national team captain, Premier League winner with Leicester City in 2016, and the leading scorer for Algeria’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad
Soccer is Algeria’s most played and most watched sport by a wide margin. It is organized nationally by the Algerian Football Federation, with the Ligue Professionnelle 1 as the top domestic men’s competition, and it draws far more registered players and spectators than any other sport in the country.
The men’s national team, known as the Desert Foxes, won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 under captain Riyad Mahrez, who also won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016. That success is widely credited with driving further growth in youth participation across the country.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Handball
- Governing body: Algerian Handball Federation (FAHB)
- Top national league: Championnat National de Handball
Handball ranks second in Algeria, well behind soccer but ahead of the country’s other team sports. It is governed by the Algerian Handball Federation, and clubs such as GS Petroliers have built strong followings both domestically and in African club competitions.
The men’s national team is the most decorated side in the history of the African Men’s Handball Championship, and that record of continental success is a major reason the sport has a large base of registered clubs and junior players across Algeria.
Latest Posts about Handball
#3 Athletics
- Governing body: Algerian Athletics Federation (FAA)
- Best known athlete: Taoufik Makhloufi. Won the men’s 1500 meters at the 2012 London Olympics and added a silver medal in the same event at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Athletics, and middle distance running in particular, is one of Algeria’s traditionally strong sports. The Algerian Athletics Federation oversees school, university and club level competition that feeds the national team.
Taoufik Makhloufi is the sport’s best known recent Algerian athlete, having won Olympic gold in the men’s 1500 meters in 2012 and Olympic silver in the same event in 2016. Algerian middle distance runners have a long history of continental and world level success.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#4 Boxing
- Governing body: Algerian Boxing Federation (FAB)
- Best known athlete: Mohamed Flissi. Won the bronze medal in the men’s flyweight division at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Boxing has a long standing following in Algeria, supported by a dense network of neighborhood clubs, especially in Algiers and Oran. The Algerian Boxing Federation selects and trains fighters for African and world level amateur competition.
Mohamed Flissi brought recent international attention to the sport by winning bronze in the men’s flyweight division at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, continuing a tradition of Algerian success in Olympic and African boxing.
Latest Posts about Boxing
#5 Volleyball
- Governing body: Algerian Volleyball Federation (FAVB)
- Top national league: Championnat National de Volleyball
Volleyball is widely played in Algerian schools and universities, which feeds a domestic club league organized by the Algerian Volleyball Federation. Both the men’s and women’s national teams compete regularly in African championship competition.
Clubs from Algiers and other large cities have historically been among the stronger sides in North African club volleyball, and the sport remains one of the more commonly practiced team sports for younger age groups.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#6 Basketball
- Governing body: Algerian Basketball Federation (FABB)
- Top national league: Championnat National de Basketball
Basketball is played across Algeria at school and club level, with the Algerian Basketball Federation running national men’s and women’s league competitions. The sport is popular in urban centers such as Algiers, Constantine and Oran.
Algeria’s national teams compete at the FIBA AfroBasket tournaments, and domestic clubs also take part in African club competitions, though the sport draws smaller crowds than soccer or handball.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#7 Judo
- Governing body: Algerian Judo Federation (FAJ)
- Best known athlete: Amina Belkadi. Algerian judoka who has won multiple medals at the African Judo Championships and represented Algeria at the Olympic Games
Judo is one of Algeria’s stronger individual combat sports, with the Algerian Judo Federation overseeing a large network of clubs that produce competitors for African and Olympic level competition.
Amina Belkadi is among the sport’s best known current Algerian athletes, with a record of medals at the African Judo Championships and appearances for Algeria at the Olympic Games.
Latest Posts about Judo
#8 Karate
- Governing body: Algerian Karate Federation (FAK)
Karate has a large grassroots following in Algeria, with clubs operating in most major towns and cities under the Algerian Karate Federation. Many young Algerians take up the sport through school and neighborhood clubs.
The national federation regularly sends competitors to African Karate Championships and world championship events, and Algerian karatekas have won multiple continental medals in recent years.
Latest Posts about Karate
#9 Cycling
- Governing body: Algerian Cycling Federation (FAC)
- Best known athlete: Azzedine Lagab. Algerian road cyclist and multiple time national road race champion who has competed for Algeria at African and international level events
Cycling as a competitive sport, separate from everyday bicycle use, is organized by the Algerian Cycling Federation through a calendar of road races and a national championship. The sport has a smaller but steady base of licensed racers.
Azzedine Lagab is one of Algeria’s best known competitive cyclists, with multiple national road race titles and appearances for Algeria at continental and international events.
Latest Posts about Cycling
#10 Table tennis
- Governing body: Algerian Table Tennis Federation (FATT)
Table tennis is a common school and community sport in Algeria, with the Algerian Table Tennis Federation organizing a national league and championship structure for both men and women.
The sport does not draw large spectator crowds compared with soccer or handball, but it has a broad base of casual and club level players across the country.
Latest Posts about Table Tennis
#11 Weightlifting
- Governing body: Algerian Weightlifting Federation (FAH)
Weightlifting has a smaller but dedicated following in Algeria, supported by specialized clubs affiliated with the Algerian Weightlifting Federation. The sport is practiced mainly by competitive athletes rather than as a mass recreational activity.
Algerian weightlifters have won medals at African championships in several weight classes, and the federation continues to develop younger lifters through regional training centers.
Latest Posts about Weightlifting
#12 Wrestling
- Governing body: Algerian Wrestling Federation (FAL)
Wrestling in Algeria is organized by the Algerian Wrestling Federation through a network of clubs concentrated mainly in larger cities. It remains a smaller sport compared with the country’s team sports.
Algerian wrestlers compete at the African Wrestling Championships and other continental events, with the federation focused on developing competitors in both freestyle and Greco Roman styles.
Latest Posts about Wrestling
#13 Taekwondo
- Governing body: Algerian Taekwondo Federation (FAT)
Taekwondo has grown steadily in Algeria over recent decades, with clubs operating in most large cities under the Algerian Taekwondo Federation. It is practiced mostly by children and teenagers as an after school activity.
Algerian taekwondo athletes compete at the African Taekwondo Championships and have taken part in Olympic qualifying events, though the sport remains smaller than Algeria’s traditional strengths of soccer and handball.
Latest Posts about Taekwondo
#14 Swimming
- Governing body: Algerian Swimming Federation (FAN)
Swimming in Algeria is concentrated mostly in coastal cities such as Algiers, Oran and Annaba, where pool access is more widely available. The Algerian Swimming Federation runs a national club and school competition structure.
The sport is smaller than Algeria’s leading team sports, since it depends on pool infrastructure that is less common in inland regions, but it remains a regular part of school sport programs in the cities where it is available.
Latest Posts about Swimming
Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.
FAQ
What are the most popular sports in Algeria?
Soccer is by far Algeria’s most played and most watched sport, followed by handball and athletics. Boxing, volleyball and basketball also have large numbers of registered clubs and players, based on the participation ranking above.
What is the national sport in Algeria?
No law or government decree establishing an official national sport for Algeria was found. Soccer is generally treated as the country’s de facto national sport because of its much larger participation and audience compared with any other sport.
What are the most popular sports in Algeria for tourists?
Visitors are most likely to encounter soccer, since it is Algeria’s largest sport by participation and audience, followed by handball and athletics, which also rank among the country’s most followed sports.
What are the most popular sports to watch in Algeria?
Soccer draws by far the largest television and stadium audiences in Algeria. Handball is the next most watched team sport, reflecting the men’s national team’s record as the most successful side in the history of the African Men’s Handball Championship.
What are the popular traditional games, leisure activities and sports in Algeria?
Modern organized sport in Algeria is led by soccer, handball and athletics, all with large club networks under national federations. No verified nationwide data on traditional folk games could be confirmed without a search step, so none are listed here.
