WEDNESDAY 06/24/2026: Lawrence is now 'Little Algeria' for the World Cup

The Algerian men’s national team adopted Lawrence as its home base for the World Cup. In return, the Kansas college town embraced the team in a big way — and flooded the streets Monday when Algeria won its first match of the tournament.Locals are hosting watch parties, creating art, and even altering KU's classic chant into "Rock Chalk Algeria" to show their allegiance. KCUR’s Suzanne Hogan spoke to Emma Noble and Emma Sui Pang, two student journalists at the University of Kansas, who’ve been covering the team’s time in Lawrence.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.