Tunisia have become the second African team and 18th nation overall to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26™. The North Africans secured their place in dramatic fashion on 8 September 2025 by defeating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 with a stoppage-time winner from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane.
In Group H, which included São Tomé and Príncipe, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia and Liberia, Sami Trabelsi’s men recorded seven wins and one draw to progress in decisive style.
The Carthage Eagles will be compete in the World Cup for a seventh time in their history and a third in succession. At Qatar 2022, they secured a momentous victory over reigning champions and soon-to-be-finalists France on the final day of Group D action.
However, it was at the 1978 World Cup that the Tunisians made history by becoming the first African country to win a match in the competition. And what a victory it was.
On the first day of Group 2, they thwarted Mexico’s plans, despite the latter scoring the first goal from a penalty. After the break, Ali Kaabi, Nejib Ghommidh and Mokhtar Dhouieb each scored to give a jubilant nation a historic 3-1 victory.
However, Abdelmajid Chetali’s men did not make it past the group stage. The five other Tunisian teams to have qualified for the World Cup have suffered the same fate… offering the nation’s Class of 26 a chance to make history.
Tunisia at the FIFA World Cup
First appearance: Argentina 1978
Appearances: 6 (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)
Best result: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)
Main image courtesy of CAF
