Bachir prépare la nuit blanche d’Algerie Argentine à 3 a.m.
Algerie argentine arrive mercredi à 3 a.m. French time, and Bachir already knows he will stay up for it. The 32-year-old supermarket worker says he will sleep after his shift ends at 13 hours, then catch Algeria’s opening World Cup match without missing the start.
“Pour les Fennecs, c’est nuit blanche,” he said, and that is the trade-off facing supporters in France as Algeria begins its tournament against Argentina. Three group matches sit in the dead of night or the early morning: Argentina at 3 a.m., Jordan on 23 June at 5 a.m. and Austria on 28 June at 4 a.m.
Bachir and the 3 a.m. kickoff
Bachir said he will put his temporary afternoon jobs on hold to watch Algeria, then return to the rest of his day after work. “Je dormirai après mon boulot, qui se termine à 13 heures,” he said. “Je vais mettre entre parenthèses les missions d’intérim l’après-midi, c’est mon deuxième job d’ordinaire.”
He is not approaching the match as a one-off disruption. Bachir said, “Je les vois en demie,” giving his schedule change a competitive edge rather than a simple viewing plan. For him, the opening game is Algeria’s entry into the World Cup, and it arrives at a time when regular routines have to bend around the whistle.
Djamila, Rachid and Mourid
Other supporters have mapped out their own overnight plans. Djamila, 68, called it “Ça va être une soirée pyjama entre adultes,” while Rachid said he will set his alarm for 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday after waiting 12 years for Algeria’s return to the World Cup.
Rachid’s schedule is built around the kickoff. “J’attends ça depuis douze ans, depuis la dernière apparition de l’Algérie à une Coupe du monde,” he said. “Ça tombe même très bien, je fais souvent des insomnies. Là, je n’aurai pas besoin de prendre de comprimé pour dormir.” Mourid, 27, who works nights as a security guard in a factory, said he will watch at work: “Sur l’ordinateur, il y a tout !”
France time, Algeria time
The timing leaves little room for a normal night. Algeria’s match against Argentina comes first, followed by Jordan at 5 a.m. on 23 June and Austria at 4 a.m. on 28 June, three starts that turn a group stage into a sleep schedule for fans in France. Amine, 15, will not watch live at all; he will wait for the replay because his parents oppose watching it in real time.
That is the practical reality for Algerian supporters in France: alarms, pauses at work, and family viewing plans built around a 3 a.m. kickoff. For Wednesday, Bachir has already made his choice. He will work until 13 hours, sleep after that, and be awake for Algeria’s first World Cup test against Argentina.
