A college town in the middle of Kansas is flying Algerian flags. That sentence alone tells you the World Cup does strange and wonderful things to small American cities.
Lawrence, Kansas, population roughly 96,000 to 100,000, has become Algeria’s official base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team set up shop at Rock Chalk Park, the University of Kansas athletic complex, after selecting the site months in advance. When the squad arrived in June, residents greeted them with parades, community events, and performances by the local marching band.
While Lawrence was hanging green and white bunting, Algeria’s government was handing down a seven-year prison sentence to a journalist for doing his job.
The journalist in the cell
On June 29, 2025, French journalist Christophe Gleizes was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges linked to his reporting. The case has become a flashpoint for press freedom advocates, with appeals still ongoing as of June 2026.
