Yassine Meriah retires at 33 after persistent knee injury

Former Tunisia defender Yassine Meriah has announced his retirement from football at the age of 33, citing chronic pain caused by a serious knee injury.

Meriah confirmed the decision in a statement shared on his Instagram Story on Saturday, bringing an end to a career that included 349 club appearances and 95 international matches for Tunisia.

The defender said he had continued to suffer from pain in his knee since aggravating a previous anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Esperance de Tunis in late November 2024.

He had first sustained a serious injury to the same knee during his time with Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, between December 2021 and June 2022.

Meriah joined Club Africain as a free agent from Esperance de Tunis last July. He began the season as a starter, playing the full matches against ES Metlaoui on 23 August and Hammam Sousse on 29 August. Club Africain won the first game 1-0 and the second 1-0.

However, he was dropped to the bench for the CAF Champions League play-offs in September and subsequently disappeared from the matchday squads before announcing his retirement.

A versatile defender, Meriah played mainly at centre-back but could also operate at right-back and in defensive midfield. He made 120 of his club appearances for Esperance, scoring 26 goals and providing five assists during his career.

With Esperance, he won two Tunisian league titles, two Tunisian Cups and one Tunisian Super Cup.

Meriah also captained Tunisia and made 95 appearances for the national side, combining senior and A’ selections. He scored six international goals.

His most notable achievements with the Carthage Eagles included finishing fourth at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and reaching the final of the Arab Cup in 2021.

He was not included in current Tunisia manager Moine Chaabani’s first squad for the latest international break and had also been left out of the squad for the 2026 World Cup in June-July under Sabri Lamouchi.

Meriah had not played for Tunisia since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, held under coach Sami Trabelsi. He made one appearance in the tournament, coming on during the last-16 tie against Mali on 3 January.

Tunisia were eliminated after a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 defeat on penalties. Meriah had watched the group stage from the bench and began the knockout match among the substitutes before replacing the injured Dylan Bronn in the 12th minute.