The Heart of Lawrence for Algeria

The string lights in downtown Lawrence twinkle red, white and green, Viva L’Algerie banners drape along Massachusetts Street — and a giant Algeria flag has been carved into earth at the University of Kansas. Undeterred by tornado sirens, fans lined the streets to greet the Algeria team as they pulled into this vibrant Midwestern college town at around midnight on June 7. Lawrence, serving as the official base camp for Algeria, has adopted the world’s 27th-ranked team, welcoming them as one of their own.

On Tuesday night (8pm CT, 2am BST on Wednesday) they take on champions Argentina and their captain Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player ever, at Arrowhead Stadium in nearby Kansas City. But it is Algeria who have stolen the locals’ hearts. “I want Algeria to go far,” says Emma Noble, a University of Kansas (KU) student and server at Wine Dive + Kitchen. “I’m a Lawrence girl. I have to root for the team that is near me. Messi has had his time. I’m ready for this team to show what Lawrence, Kansas can bring to the World Cup.”

Community Efforts and Cultural Exchange

In February, KU announced that, after nearly two years of preparation, Algeria would use its training facilities and make Lawrence — a city of around 100,000 people less than an hour west from Kansas City — its home during the World Cup. On Thursday, hundreds of fans, a mix of local residents, members of the Algerian diaspora and travelling Algeria supporters, filled Rock Chalk Park soccer field as the team held an open training session for the public. “Rock Chalk, Algeria”, chanted one Lawrencian, a twist on their traditional, “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” chant. The KU’s 25-strong marching band, consisting of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments, played Kassaman, the Algeria national anthem, to welcome the team. “Nothing means more than your own national anthem,” says Sharon Toulouse, KU’s director of athletic bands.

The fans’ excitement to see the team was matched by the Algeria squad, who videoed the band and danced along pitchside. “Respect, thank you so much for the welcome,” said captain and former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, who also shot hoops on the college basketball’s court and kicked a field goal at The Booth, the college’s American football stadium.

Local Hospitality and Cultural Integration

A thriving college town with a strong arts scene, Lawrence prides itself on community and a sense of belonging. The reception for the Algeria team comes as no surprise to sports bar Johnny Tavern’s owner Rick Renfro, whose video of staff welcoming the team in Arabic, English and French has attracted over a million views on X. “When I meet people from other countries, we talk about the exact same things,” the 70-year-old says. “What kind of beer do you like to drink? How many kids do you have? What does your youngest do? We’re all regular people who want to take care of our families.”

Cori Wallace, the City of Lawrence’s director of communications, says: “Frankly, it’s just who Lawrencians are. They have a long tradition of opening their arms and saying: ‘We’re glad you’re here.’” The town embraces sport — KU’s basketball team are six-time national college champions, while they have endured tough times supporting their American football team — and the city recognises that fans of any team seek community. “That’s one of the best parts about being a fan,” says Wallace. “We might not all know a lot about soccer but we definitely know how to be a fan!”

Building a Soccer Culture

Soccer remains a niche sport in Lawrence. Renfro estimates around 1,400 children play in local leagues, many of which have existed for only six to eight years. “My customers don’t pay attention to it but now they are,” he says. Behind the genuine bonhomie that has fuelled viral social media moments was a coordinated effort, under the project name Score Lawrence, between more than 15 partners across the city. Over the past year, the Lawrence chamber of commerce worked closely with experts in Algerian culture, community leaders and local organisations to ensure their efforts were authentic and respectful. “Instead of trying to create an artificial fan experience, the community approached the opportunity with a question: ‘How can we make all people feel welcome and seen?’”, says Wallace.

They may not have the largest wealth of resources. But they used the creativity and warmth of their existing community, from art exhibitions of 71 wooden jerseys and a local printing company designing Algeria T-shirts to restaurants adding halal meat to accommodate Algerian fans. Lawrencians would have embraced any team that chose them as its base given their community spirit — but they have fallen in love with Algeria. “Taylor Swift was nice about Lawrence so we love her forever,” says Lawrence native Bella Otter. “Now Algeria is here, we’ll love them forever too.”

Looking Ahead to the Match

As for Renfro, his number one loyalty lies with the United States, but until Wednesday it is all about Algeria: “If they beat Argentina on Tuesday night, we’re gonna be open until 5am!” Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic said in his pre-match press conference on Monday that the “wonderful” support has given the team “a great helping hand”. “I hope we can make it through to the knockout stages and then maybe everyone from Kansas can travel with us to another city,” he said. A town that barely followed football a few weeks ago will spend Tuesday willing Algeria to overcome one of the most iconic players on the planet. “Yes, we know who Messi is and he plays for a team in the U.S. — but this is our team now,” says Shelbourne.