Tunisia at the FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA ranking: 44
Group: F
Confederation: CAF
Coach: Sabri Lamouchi
World Cup titles: 0
Best result: Group stage (all appearances)

History

Tunisia are making their seventh World Cup appearance in 2026. They first qualified in 1978, becoming the first African and Arab nation to win a World Cup match when they beat Mexico 3-1 in their debut game. Their subsequent appearances came in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, and 2022. Despite these seven appearances, Tunisia have never advanced beyond the group stage, making that the target for 2026. At Qatar 2022, they recorded a famous 1-0 victory over defending champions France but were still eliminated in the group stage. Tunisia have 0 world titles.

Qualification

Tunisia qualified directly from CAF Group H with a near-perfect campaign, amassing 28 points from a possible 30. Under then-coach Sami Trabelsi, they won nine of ten matches and drew one, scoring 22 goals while conceding none in the final stretch, recording ten consecutive clean sheets. They sealed qualification on September 8, 2025, with a last-minute winner by Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane against Equatorial Guinea, with two group matches still to spare. Their group opponents were Namibia, Liberia, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe. Following qualification, Trabelsi was sacked after an AFCON exit and Sabri Lamouchi was appointed as the new head coach in January 2026.

Preparation

Sabri Lamouchi announced his final 26-man squad on May 15, 2026, making several bold selection decisions with new faces included. Tunisia began a training camp in Tabarka, in northwest Tunisia, approximately 100 kilometres from the capital Tunis, with players reporting in waves. As of May 27, the squad was almost complete: Sebastian Tounekti and Hannibal Mejbri reported on May 26, joined that evening by Rayan Elloumi and Hazem Mastouri, with OGC Nice defender Ali Abdi expected on May 27 to complete the group. The squad travelled to Europe for two warm-up friendlies: against Austria in Vienna on June 1 (19:45), and against Belgium in Brussels on June 6 (14:00). In the first of these, on June 1, Tunisia lost 1-0 to Austria at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna: despite playing against ten men for around an hour after Austria's Konrad Laimer was sent off in the first half, and hitting the woodwork three times, they failed to convert and conceded a 63rd-minute goal to Marcel Sabitzer. Lamouchi's main concern remains a recurring lack of finishing. After the European tests and a brief return to Tunisia, the squad will travel to Monterrey, Mexico, for their base camp at El Barrial (Rayados Training Centre). In March 2026, Tunisia had beaten Haiti 1-0 and drawn 0-0 with Canada.

Latest news

Tunisia lose first World Cup warm-up 1-0 to Austria despite hour against ten men

Mon 1 Jun · matches

In their first 2026 World Cup warm-up friendly, Tunisia lost 1-0 to Austria at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna. Austria's Konrad Laimer was sent off in the first half, leaving Tunisia a man up for about an hour, and they struck the woodwork three times, but Marcel Sabitzer scored on 63 minutes. Coach Sabri Lamouchi's main concern remains a lack of finishing.

footafrique.com · 2026-06-02
afrik-foot.com · 2026-06-02

Lamouchi denies Mastouri injury rumour, says Tabarka squad progressing well

Fri 29 May · injuries

At the Tabarka training camp, coach Sabri Lamouchi reassured on the squad's fitness, stating that forward Hazem Mastouri has no injury despite speculation circulating on social media. He said the players are progressing and reaching the desired athletic level ahead of the friendlies against Austria (June 1) and Belgium (June 6).

lapresse.tn · 2026-06-02

Squad

Player	Position	Club
Aymen Dahmen	GK	CS Sfaxien
Sabri Ben Hassine	GK	Étoile du Sahel
Abdelmouhib Chamakh	GK	Club Africain
Montassar Talbi	DF	Lorient
Dylan Bronn	DF	Servette FC
Omar Rekik	DF	NK Maribor
Yan Valery	DF	BSC Young Boys
Ali Abdi	DF	OGC Nice
Moutaz Neffati	DF	IFK Norrköping
Raed Chikhaoui	DF	US Monastir
Adem Arous	DF	Kasimpasa
Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida	DF	Espérance de Tunis
Ellyes Skhiri	MF	Eintracht Frankfurt
Hannibal Mejbri	MF	Burnley
Anis Ben Slimane	MF	Norwich City
Rani Khedira	MF	Union Berlin
Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud	MF	FC Lugano
Ismaël Gharbi	MF	FC Augsburg
Mortadha Ben Ouanes	MF	Kasimpasa
Elias Achouri	FW	FC Copenhagen
Firas Chaouat	FW	Club Africain
Hazem Mastouri	FW	Dynamo Makhachkala
Sebastian Tounekti	FW	Celtic
Elias Saad	FW	Hannover 96
Khalil Ayari	FW	Paris Saint-Germain
Rayan Elloumi	FW	Vancouver Whitecaps