Tunisia thrashed 5-0 by Belgium in final 2026 World Cup warm-up

Tunisia endured a difficult evening against Belgium as the Eagles of Carthage suffered a comprehensive 5-0 defeat in their final preparation match ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The Tunisian side was outplayed throughout the contest by a Belgium team that controlled possession, created the majority of the chances and punished their opponents with a ruthless display in front of goal.

Sabri Lamouchi’s men struggled to establish themselves from the opening stages and found themselves behind before the half-hour mark.

Belgium’s dominance was eventually rewarded in the 28th minute when Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock, giving the Red Devils a deserved lead.

Tunisia reached the interval trailing by a single goal, but the scoreline did not fully reflect Belgium’s superiority during the first half. The Europeans dictated the tempo of the match and consistently threatened the Tunisian defence.

Any hopes of a second-half response quickly disappeared after the restart. Belgium increased their advantage in the 53rd minute through Charles De Ketelaere, placing Tunisia under even greater pressure.

The situation worsened further for the North Africans when Ismael Gharbi was sent off in the 62nd minute. Reduced to ten players, Tunisia faced an increasingly difficult challenge against an opponent already in complete control of the match.

Just three minutes after the dismissal, Kevin De Bruyne added Belgium’s third goal, effectively ending any prospect of a Tunisian comeback.

With a numerical advantage and growing confidence, the Red Devils continued to push forward during the closing stages. Their persistence paid off again in the 85th minute when Dodi Lukebakio found the net to make it 4-0.

Belgium completed the rout two minutes later as Nicolas Raskin added a fifth goal, sealing an emphatic victory and underlining the gulf between the two teams on the night.

For Tunisia, the result represents a significant setback just days before the start of the 2026 World Cup. The Eagles of Carthage were unable to match Belgium’s intensity, quality and efficiency, exposing several weaknesses that will need to be addressed quickly.

While friendly matches are often used to fine-tune preparations, this heavy defeat serves as a stark warning for Lamouchi and his players.

Tunisia will now have little time to respond as they prepare to enter the world’s biggest football tournament following a challenging conclusion to their pre-World Cup campaign.