World Cup 2026: Rabah Madjer defends Tunisia after World Cup exit, insists Netherlands are ‘not a team to fear’

Algerian football legend Rabah Madjer has come to the defense of Tunisia’s national team following its disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, insisting the Carthage Eagles remain on the same level as fellow North African giants Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria.

Tunisia endured a difficult tournament and exited the World Cup from the group stage after finishing bottom of their group without a single point. The North African side suffered heavy defeats against Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands during the competition.

Tunisia’s Difficult World Cup Campaign

The Tunisian national team opened its campaign with a 5-1 defeat against Sweden before falling 4-0 to Japan. Their final group match ended in a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands, confirming their elimination from the tournament.

Despite the poor results, Madjer believes the team’s struggles go beyond what happened on the pitch during the World Cup.

Madjer Backs Tunisia’s Quality

Speaking on the “Our Club” programme on MBC 1, the former Algerian star maintained his confidence in the Tunisian national team and its overall quality.

“I still stand by my opinion, the Tunisian national team is a good team, it has great potential, just like the national teams of Algeria, Morocco and Egypt,” Madjer said.

He suggested that Tunisia’s problems began before the World Cup itself, pointing to the heavy 5-1 friendly defeat against Belgium as a warning sign ahead of the tournament.

“But he is suffering from a crisis. The crisis did not begin in the World Cup, but after the 1-5 friendly defeat against Belgium, a defeat that raised questions about the Tunisian national team,” he added.

‘No Fear’ of the Netherlands

Madjer also downplayed the strength of the Dutch national team despite Tunisia’s defeat against them in the group stage.

“The Tunisian national team lost to the Dutch national team, and although it is a respectable team, the Tunisian national team was able to compete with it, as evidenced by the fact that the Algerian national team won against it in a friendly match with a clean goal in Rotterdam,” he said.

He concluded by arguing that Tunisia’s downfall came largely from mistakes made during matches rather than fear of their opponents.

“The Netherlands team is not the team you should fear in the match, but the Tunisian team made many mistakes on the field,” Madjer concluded.

Morocco Await Dutch Challenge

Madjer’s comments come as Morocco prepares for a highly anticipated Round of 32 clash against the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Atlas Lions will face the Dutch side early next Tuesday morning as they continue their pursuit of another deep run on football’s biggest stage.