Chapter 2: The Role of Football in the Algerian Independence: A Revolutionary Case of FLN Football Team

Football (soccer), a widespread sociocultural phenomenon, has played a significant role in major historical events since the late 19th century, when its rules were first established. One of these moments was during Algeria’s fight for independence, the so-called War of National Liberation, between the 1950s and 1960s. At the time, a football team drew international attention when traveling the world in search of support for the freedom of Algerians. Made up of players who played in the French national championship, the team of the National Liberation Front (FLN), a revolutionary movement, visited several countries in its campaign for Algerian independence and denounced French colonialism to the world. Studying the case of Équipe FLN, this chapter seeks to demonstrate how sport helped to strengthen the feeling of nationhood among Algerians and how the FLN team was a relevant element in the Algerians’ campaign for independence. With this aim, an analysis and synthesis of the existing research in both academic and journalistic literature on colonialism, history, and sports studies was made. The results suggest that the legacy of the FLN team was, perhaps, the revolutionary organization’s most significant tool in achieving the international objectives outlined in its Declaration of Independence. These objectives included fostering unity among Maghreb countries to support the Algerian struggle and exposing the world to the atrocities committed by French forces, such as the massacres of Sétif and Guelma.