Luca Zidane Turns to Mental Coach After Criticisms at the World Cup

Algeria's national team goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, revealed that he is currently working with a sports psychologist to help him handle the immense pressure associated with participating in the 2026 World Cup. This comes after the severe criticism he faced following the 3-0 defeat against Argentina in the first round of the group stage.

The son of the legend Zinedine Zidane faced widespread criticism from fans and the media, especially after the mistakes that accompanied some of Lionel Messi's goals in the match, which ended with the Argentine star scoring a complete hat-trick.

Luka emphasized that working with a psychologist has greatly helped him mentally, noting that mental readiness is just as important as physical readiness for football players, especially in a tournament as significant as the World Cup, which comes with immense media and public pressure.

Despite the criticisms, Algeria's coach Vladimir Petković renewed his confidence in the 28-year-old goalkeeper, confirming that he will continue to be a starter in the upcoming matches, and considering that blaming him entirely for the defeat against Argentina is unfair.

Luca Zidane hopes to regain his form and help the "Desert Warriors" return to competition in the group, as the upcoming matches have become crucial in the race to qualify for the next round.