Herve Renard urges Tunisia to restore pride in final World Cup outing against Netherlands

Tunisia interim coach Herve Renard has challenged his players to show pride and dignity in their final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a disappointing campaign that ended in an early exit.

The experienced French tactician, appointed on an emergency basis last week following the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi, has so far been unable to halt the Carthage Eagles’ downward spiral.

Lamouchi was relieved of his duties after Tunisia suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening game in Mexico. Renard’s arrival, however, failed to spark an immediate turnaround, with Tunisia crashing to a heavy 4-0 loss against Japan to confirm their elimination from the tournament.

Now, the former Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach faces the task of rallying his side for a daunting final Group clash against the Netherlands in Kansas City.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference at Arrowhead Stadium on Wednesday, Renard stressed the importance of maintaining professionalism despite the team’s difficult circumstances.

“Football requires pride even when the situation is difficult,” the 57-year-old said.

“You need to be facing these situations with dignity all the way to the end.”

Renard admitted he was deeply disappointed by Tunisia’s display against Japan, revealing that he felt a sense of shame towards the country’s supporters.

“After this match against Japan, what I felt more than anything was a sense of shame towards the Tunisian public, rather than thinking about the future,” he said.

“Let’s focus on this last match and go out to get something that may seem hard to achieve today, but we have to do it.”

Tunisia’s World Cup struggles have come as a surprise given their dominant qualifying campaign, during which they progressed unbeaten and did not concede a single goal.

However, their form has declined significantly in recent months. The North Africans suffered a shock exit in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, a setback Renard believes has had a lasting impact on the squad. Their preparations for the World Cup were also far from ideal.

Despite the disappointing results, Renard remains convinced that Tunisia possesses enough quality to rebuild.

“I’m considering things from the outside and I would say that there are quality players in the team that we will have to use if we want to start afresh,” he said.

“I won’t be deciding but after a disappointment there is always something you can learn from.”

Speculation continues over Renard’s future, with reports suggesting the former Saudi Arabia boss is unlikely to remain in charge beyond the World Cup. The Frenchman, however, declined to discuss his long-term plans.

“We have got the last game to play and then we will have to take stock of the situation,” he said.

“I’m open to any decision. I’m ready to listen to the project whatever it is but this is not what I’m here for.”