Tunisia have become the first African nation to be eliminated from FIFA World Cup 2026 after a disappointing group-stage campaign saw the suffer a heavy defeat to Japan on Saturday.
The North Africans saw their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds evaporate after suffering a 4-0 loss in their second Group F fixture, leaving them without a possible path to the Round of 32.
Tunisia had lost 5-1 to Sweden in their opening group match.
That result saw them fire their coach Sabri Lamouchi and replace him with Herve Renard.
Tunisia now face a rampant Netherlands side in their final group match on Friday, 26 June at 01:00 (SA time).
Missed opportunities
Tunisia arrived at the expanded 48-team tournament hoping to build on their recent World Cup experience, but a combination of defensive lapses and missed opportunities proved costly.
Consecutive defeats left them rooted to the bottom of the group and unable to challenge for qualification.
Japan delivered the decisive blow, producing a dominant display that underlined the gulf between the two sides on the day.
The Asian outfit secured their own place in the knockout stages while ending Tunisia’s World Cup journey.
Major disappointment
The early exit is a major disappointment for Tunisian football, particularly given the expectations surrounding the team before the tournament.
Incredibly, Tunisia topped their CAF qualification group, scoring 22 goals in 10 matches and did not concede a single goal – in stark contract to the nine they leaked in just two matches at FIFA World Cup 2026.
With more qualification places available than ever before under FIFA’s new format, many believed Tunisia had a realistic chance of progressing beyond the group stage.
Instead, they become the first African team to bow out of the competition.
Attention will now turn to Africa’s remaining representatives, who continue their quest for places in the knockout rounds.
Several nations, including South Africa, Morocco, Senegal and DR Congo, remain in contention as the group stage enters its decisive phase.
Tunisia entered the tournament as the 46th-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, but now find themselves in 58th spot after their two defeats.
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