Tunisia at the World Cup 2026: Squad, fixtures, group and history

Tunisia return to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 as one of Africa’s most experienced representatives on the global stage.

The Carthage Eagles have built a reputation as a resilient and competitive side throughout World Cup history and will once again aim to reach the knockout stage for the first time. Drawn in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden, Tunisia face another difficult challenge in North America.

Group F Overview

Tunisia have been placed in Group F together with European giants the Netherlands and Sweden, as well as Asian powerhouse Japan.

The group is expected to be one of the most competitive at the tournament, with Tunisia hoping to upset the odds and secure a place in the Round of 32.

Group F Teams

Netherlands
Japan
Sweden
Tunisia

Tunisia Fixtures at World Cup 2026

The Carthage Eagles will open their campaign against Sweden before facing Japan and the Netherlands in their remaining group matches.

Fixtures

Sweden vs Tunisia – Sunday, 14 June 2026 – Estadio Monterrey
Tunisia vs Japan – Saturday, 20 June 2026 – Estadio Monterrey
Tunisia vs Netherlands – Thursday, 25 June 2026 – Kansas City Stadium

Tunisia World Cup History

Tunisia have qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times, including the 2026 edition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The North African nation made history during their first appearance in 1978 by becoming the first African and Arab country to win a World Cup match.

Despite never advancing beyond the group stage, Tunisia have consistently remained one of Africa’s most respected football nations.

1978 Argentina: Historic First Victory

Tunisia announced themselves on the world stage at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.

The Carthage Eagles defeated Mexico 3-1 to record the first-ever World Cup victory by an African nation. They also secured an impressive 0-0 draw against defending champions West Germany.

1998 France: Tough Return

Tunisia returned to the World Cup in 1998 but struggled in a difficult group featuring England and Colombia.

Their only point came in a draw against Romania as they exited in the group stage.

2002 Korea/Japan: Another Early Exit

The 2002 tournament saw Tunisia collect one point after drawing against Belgium.

However, they finished bottom of their group and once again failed to progress.

2006 Germany: Competitive But Eliminated

Tunisia opened the tournament with a 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia but later suffered defeats to Spain and Ukraine, ending their campaign in the first round.

2018 Russia: Ending the Long Wait

The Carthage Eagles secured their second-ever World Cup victory at the 2018 tournament in Russia.

A 2-1 victory over Panama ended a 40-year wait for another World Cup win and gave Tunisia a positive finish to the competition.

2022 Qatar: Famous Win Over France

Tunisia produced one of the biggest surprises of the 2022 FIFA World Cup by defeating defending champions France 1-0 in their final group match.

Despite the famous result, they narrowly missed out on qualification to the knockout stage.

2026 North America: Another Opportunity

Tunisia qualified for the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup under head coach Hervé Renard.

The Carthage Eagles will now hope this generation can finally break through the group stage barrier and make history for Tunisian football.

Tunisia Final Squad for World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers

Sabri Ben Hessen (Étoile du Sahel)
Abdelmouhib Chamakh (Club Africain)
Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien)

Defenders

Ali Abdi (Nice)
Adem Arous (Kasımpaşa)
Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Espérance de Tunis)
Dylan Bronn (Servette)
Raed Chikhaoui (US Monastir)
Moutaz Neffati (IFK Norrköping)
Omar Rekik (Maribor)
Montassar Talbi (Lorient)
Yan Valery (Young Boys)

Midfielders

Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasımpaşa)
Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City)
Ismael Gharbi (FC Augsburg)
Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano)
Rani Khedira (Union Berlin)
Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)
Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Forwards

Elias Achouri (Copenhagen)
Khalil Ayari (Paris Saint-Germain)
Firas Chaouat (Club Africain)
Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Hazem Mastouri (Dynamo Makhachkala)
Elias Saad (Hannover 96)
Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic)