It is no longer a rare feat for Tunisia to qualify for the FIFA World Cup™. The Eagles of Carthage have continued to cement their presence on the global stage by booking their ticket to the FIFA World Cup 26™ in North America. By making their seventh appearance overall and third in a row, Tunisia have now qualified for five out of the seven World Cups in the 21st century.
Although they have never made it past the group stage, the repeated appearances in recent editions have fortified Tunisia with experience, and momentum will be crucial to overcoming that barrier when they land in Canada, Mexico and the USA next year.
Tunisia coach: Sami Trabelsi
Trabelsi has a place in his country’s footballing history as the first Tunisian to qualify for the World Cup as both a player and a coach, having been part of the Tunisia squad at France 1998.
The former international defender, now 57, started coaching with Tunisia’s U-23 side, then worked as an assistant coach for the senior national team in 2011. Following the departure of the Frenchman Bertrand Marchand, Trabelsi took charge for two years and led Tunisia to qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship title that same year. Later, he spent a full decade with Al-Sailiya SC in the Qatar Stars League, where he earned a reputation as a calm, pragmatic coach.
Trabelsi returned to the helm of the Tunisian national team in February 2025. With composure and competence, he led the team to seven victories in his first eight matches, with a single defeat coming in a friendly against Morocco. Tunisia went on to qualify for World Cup 26 under Trabelsi’s leadership by racking up six straight qualifying wins, during which they scored 16 goals without conceding a single one.
Tunisia’s World Cup 26 fixtures and group
Tunisia will learn their group-stage opponents at the Final Draw for FIFA World Cup 26, which is set to take place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC at 12:00 local time (18:00 CET) on Friday, 5 December.
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
How Tunisia qualified for World Cup 26
Tunisia took control of their qualifying campaign early, with three wins and a draw under former coach Faouzi Benzarti. The team found a new gear once Sami Trabelsi took over, reeling off six straight wins and running away with their CAF qualifying group by collecting 28 out of a possible 30 points. Remarkably, the Eagles of Carthage did not concede a single goal in their 10 matches – an exceptional defensive achievement reflecting their organisation and discipline.
Their qualification became official during the September international window, when Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane struck a dramatic late winner against Equatorial Guinea on Matchday 8.
Tunisia’s World Cup history
Tunisia’s best World Cup
Tunisia had their best World Cup in their debut, Argentina 1978, where they were Africa’s sole representative.
In Rosario, in front of some 17,000 spectators, the Eagles of Carthage made history with a 3-1 win over Mexico. After falling behind in the first half from a penalty, Tunisia stormed back with goals from Ali Kaabi, Nejib Ghommidh, and Mokhtar Dhouib.
That victory ignited the supporters’ passion and raised expectations ahead of an encounter with Poland, where Tunisia delivered a strong performance only to lose 1-0 after a Grzegorz Lato strike at the end of the first half. In their third match, Tunisia put on a heroic display and managed to force a goalless draw against reigning champions West Germany.
Although Tunisia exited at the group stage after finishing third behind Poland and West Germany, they had made history by becoming the first African team to win a match at the World Cup.
Tunisia’s last World Cup
At Qatar 2022, Tunisia played in a tough group that included reigning champions France, along with Denmark and Australia. It had been a difficult qualification journey, and expectations for Jalel Kadri’s side were not high, but the Eagles of Carthage enlivened group play with some surprises, opening with a 0-0 draw against Denmark in front of more than 41,000 spectators.
In their second match, Tunisia suffered a painful 1-0 loss to Australia, complicating their calculations in the group. But they saved their finest moment for last by bouncing back to stun France – who had already secured passage out of the group stage – with a 1-0 victory bearing Wahbi Khazri’s signature in the 58th minute.
Thrilling as it was, that victory was not enough, as Tunisia finished third in the group after Australia defeated Denmark. Nonetheless, they left the tournament with heads held high after a memorable campaign that impressed fans and followers around the world.
Tunisia’s World Cup top scorer
Of the 14 goals Tunisia have scored across their six World Cup appearances, Khazri leads the way with three, making him the all-time top scorer at the tournament for the Eagles of Carthage. Featuring at Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, Khazri opened his account against Belgium in Russia, following up a pinpoint cross from Hamdi Nagguez and dispatching it with one touch past Thibaut Courtois. He kept it up in the same tournament by leading Tunisia to a 2-1 victory over Panama after a pass from Oussama Haddadi.
But his most memorable goal came four years later in Qatar, when he started a counter-attack that began from beyond the halfway line, confidently manoeuvring to the edge of the penalty area, before unleashing a low drive that fooled goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and handed Tunisia a victory over reigning champions France.
Tunisia’s record World Cup appearance maker
Midfield stars Kaies Ghodhbane and Riadh Bouazizi share top spot on the list of Tunisia’s most-capped players at the World Cup, having each played eight matches across three consecutive tournaments in 1998, 2002 and 2006. Close behind is Hatem Trabelsi, who played seven matches in those same editions.
Tunisia’s memorable World Cup moments
Despite making several appearances in recent World Cups, Tunisia have yet to progress beyond the group stage. Even so, they have crafted iconic moments that ignited fans and captured headlines on more than one occasion. The 3-1 win over Mexico in Argentina in 1978 was one of those moments, coming in the opening match and raising expectations for what the team might achieve. More importantly, though, it marked a historic turning point as the first World Cup victory by an African team, opening new horizons for African football on the global stage.
More recently, another indelible scene unfolded at Qatar 2022 when Khazri found the net and gave Tunisia the win over France, one of the leading title contenders. While the victory was not enough to put Tunisia through, it sent Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan into raptures, affirming the competitive spirit and determination of the Eagles of Carthage.
Tunisia’s biggest World Cup win
Among Tunisia’s three World Cup wins, their 3-1 victory over Mexico in their 1978 debut still stands apart, being Tunisia’s only win by a two-goal margin and their only three-goal match. As a testament to the magnitude of what manager Abdelmajid Chetali’s side accomplished, their record has endured for more than four decades.
