Sabri Lamouchi named his Tunisia World Cup Squad 2026 on May 15, with Ellyes Skhiri confirmed as captain. The loudest story isn’t a selection. It’s an omission. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, who scored the penalty that sent Tunisia to the World Cup, didn’t make the final 26. Lamouchi has managed just two matches since taking charge in January 2026.
Tunisia head to their seventh World Cup having written qualifying history. They won nine, drew one, and conceded zero goals across 10 CAF Group H matches, making them the first side in World Cup history to qualify without letting in a single goal. Skhiri leads the squad with 81 caps. Three players turn out in the Bundesliga, one in the Premier League. Rayan Elloumi, 18, of Vancouver Whitecaps is the youngest player named.
This is your full Tunisia World Cup Squad 2026 list, schedule, and key player breakdown for the 2026 tournament.
Tunisia 26-Player Squad for World Cup 2026
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Aymen Dahmen | CS Sfaxien |
| GK | Sabri Ben Hessen | Étoile du Sahel |
| GK | Abdelmouhib Chamakh | Club Africain |
| DF | Montassar Talbi | Lorient |
| DF | Dylan Bronn | Servette |
| DF | Ali Abdi | OGC Nice |
| DF | Yan Valery | Young Boys |
| DF | Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida | Espérance de Tunis |
| DF | Moutaz Neffati | IFK Norrköping |
| DF | Omar Rekik | Maribor |
| DF | Adem Arous | Kasımpaşa |
| DF | Raed Chikhaoui | US Monastir |
| MF | Ellyes Skhiri (C) | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| MF | Hannibal Mejbri | Burnley |
| MF | Anis Ben Slimane | Norwich City |
| MF | Mortadha Ben Ouanes | Kasımpaşa |
| MF | Ismaël Gharbi | FC Augsburg |
| MF | Mohamed Hadj-Mahmoud | FC Lugano |
| MF | Rani Khedira | Union Berlin |
| FW | Elias Achouri | FC Copenhagen |
| FW | Firas Chaouat | Club Africain |
| FW | Hazem Mastouri | Dynamo Makhachkala |
| FW | Elias Saad | Hannover 96 |
| FW | Sebastian Tounekti | Celtic |
| FW | Khalil Ayari | Paris Saint-Germain |
| FW | Rayan Elloumi | Vancouver Whitecaps |
For all 48 teams’ rosters, see our World Cup 2026 squads hub.
Quick Stats
Here’s a snapshot of the Tunisia World Cup Squad 2026 numbers heading into Group F.
- Most-capped player: Ellyes Skhiri (81 caps)
- Second most-capped: Hannibal Mejbri (44 caps)
- Bundesliga players: 3 (Skhiri, Gharbi, Khedira)
- Premier League player (2025-26): 1 (Hannibal Mejbri, Burnley)
- Scottish Premiership player: 1 (Sebastian Tounekti, Celtic)
- Youngest player: Rayan Elloumi, 18, Vancouver Whitecaps
- Biggest omission: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (4 qualifying goals, not selected)
Key Players to Watch
Ellyes Skhiri (C) | Eintracht Frankfurt
Skhiri is Tunisia’s captain and most-capped player with 81 international appearances. He’s the only Tunisian in this squad to have featured in Champions League football this season. A tenacious defensive midfielder, he controls tempo, drops deep to win possession, and gives the team its shape. Tunisia’s performances will rise and fall on his influence.
Hannibal Mejbri | Burnley
Mejbri grew up in the suburbs of Paris and chose Tunisia over France. He brings pace, creativity, and Premier League experience from a season at Burnley. With 44 caps and a second consecutive World Cup ahead of him, he’s the midfielder Lamouchi needs to be more decisive in tight moments than he was in Qatar.
Khalil Ayari | Paris Saint-Germain
At 21, Ayari is the most exciting attacking talent in the squad. Playing at PSG has sharpened him even if first-team minutes have been limited. He brings direct running and can hurt defences in transition. A World Cup against the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden could be the platform he’s been waiting for.
Anis Ben Slimane | Norwich City
Ben Slimane returned to Tunisia’s squad after a period out of the picture. He contributed 11 goal contributions across all competitions for Norwich this season. A technically sharp midfielder who can push forward and arrive late into the box, he gives Lamouchi range and versatility in the middle third.
Rani Khedira | Union Berlin
The surprise name in Lamouchi’s squad, Khedira brings Bundesliga physicality and box-to-box energy alongside Skhiri in central midfield. Union Berlin had a difficult season, but Khedira was one of their more consistent performers. His inclusion shows Lamouchi wants hard-running intensity and an aggressive press in the engine room.
Tunisia World Cup 2026 Schedule
Tunisia plays their first two Group F matches in Guadalupe, Mexico, then travels to Kansas City for the final fixture. Kick-off times below are in Eastern Time (ET) and Central European Time (CET) for fans in Tunisia.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kickoff (ET) | Kickoff (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Sweden | Monterrey Stadium (Estadio BBVA), Guadalupe, Mexico | 10:00 PM | 3:00 AM (+1) |
| June 20 | Japan | Monterrey Stadium (Estadio BBVA), Guadalupe, Mexico | 12:00 AM (Jun 21) | 5:00 AM (Jun 21) |
| June 25 | Netherlands | Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), Kansas City | 7:00 PM | 12:00 AM (+1) |
All times follow the official FIFA match schedule confirmed at the December 5, 2025 draw. Tunisian fans will watch all three matches in the early hours of the morning. Before the group stage, Lamouchi’s squad face Austria in Vienna on June 1 and Belgium in Brussels on June 6 as warm-up fixtures. Check the full 2026 World Cup schedule for all 104 match times and venues. The June 20 fixture against Japan in Guadalupe is set to become the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history.
How Tunisia Qualified for World Cup 2026
Tunisia qualified through CAF Group H, taking on Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe across 10 matches from November 2023 to October 2025. Their final record was nine wins, one draw, zero losses, 22 goals scored, and zero conceded. The 28-point total was the best of any African qualifying group. No team in World Cup history had ever reached the finals without conceding across a full campaign. CAF confirmed Tunisia’s historic clean-sheet record at the end of the campaign.
Tunisia clinched their spot on September 8, 2025, with a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea away from home. Ben Romdhane’s penalty sealed it with two group matches still remaining. They used those final games to add goals, finishing with a 3-0 home win over Namibia. Ben Romdhane was Tunisia’s top qualifier scorer with four goals total. His absence from Lamouchi’s final 26 is the sharpest selection call of this announcement.
Head Coach: Sabri Lamouchi
Sabri Lamouchi was appointed Tunisia head coach on January 14, 2026, on a contract to July 2028. He replaced Sami Trabelsi, who was dismissed after Tunisia’s AFCON Round of 16 defeat to Mali on penalties. Trabelsi had built the squad that delivered that record-breaking qualifying campaign.
Lamouchi, 54, is French-Tunisian. As a player he was cut from France’s final 1998 World Cup squad before the tournament began. As a coach, he took Ivory Coast to the 2014 World Cup, where they exited in the group stage. He’s also managed Rennes, Nottingham Forest, and Cardiff City in European club football.
His record with Tunisia so far reads two matches: a 0-0 draw with Canada and a 1-0 win over Haiti, both warm-up friendlies in March 2026. He heads to North America still learning this squad and under pressure to justify the omission of the man who scored Tunisia’s qualifying goal.
Group F at a Glance
Tunisia sits in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden, who qualified via the UEFA Path B play-offs. The full Group F standings and fixture tracker is on our groups page.
| Team | FIFA Ranking | World Cup Appearances | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 7 | 12th | Runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010) |
| Japan | 18 | 8th | Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) |
| Sweden | 38 | 13th | Runner-up (1958) |
| Tunisia | 44 | 7th | Group stage |
All rankings are per the April 1, 2026 official FIFA update (next update June 11, 2026). The Netherlands are the standout side in Group F with three World Cup final appearances and a top-ten ranking. Japan have reached the Round of 16 at each of their last four tournaments.
Sweden are the wild card, scraping through the UEFA playoffs but historically dangerous at major competitions. Tunisia needs a win against Sweden in the opener to make a knockout-round push viable.
FAQ About Tunisia World Cup Squad 2026
What is Tunisia’s nickname?
Tunisia’s national team is known as the Eagles of Carthage, or Les Aigles de Carthage in French. The name references the ancient city of Carthage near modern-day Tunis, once one of the most powerful trading cities in the Mediterranean world.
Has Tunisia ever faced the Netherlands at a World Cup before?
No. The two nations haven’t met in a competitive World Cup fixture before 2026. Their previous meetings have been friendlies, including a 1-1 draw in 2009. The Group F clash in Kansas City on June 25 will be their first-ever World Cup encounter.
Which US channels show Tunisia’s 2026 World Cup matches?
Tunisia’s Group F matches are available in English on Fox Sports and FS1 in the United States. Spanish-language coverage airs on Telemundo and Peacock. Check your local cable or streaming provider for exact channel numbers.
How many of Tunisia’s 2026 squad play in the Bundesliga?
Three players in the squad compete in the German Bundesliga: Ellyes Skhiri at Eintracht Frankfurt, Ismaël Gharbi at FC Augsburg, and Rani Khedira at Union Berlin. That Bundesliga core gives Lamouchi a disciplined, pressing-familiar spine through his midfield.
Has Tunisia ever won a World Cup match?
Yes. In 1978, Tunisia became the first African team to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico 3-1 in Argentina. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they also defeated France 1-0 in the final group-stage round, although both teams were already eliminated from the competition at that point.
Tunisia’s World Cup 2026 Hopes
The Tunisia World Cup Squad 2026 is built on the defensive platform that produced the most clean qualifying campaign in World Cup history. Skhiri anchors the midfield, Ben Slimane and Khedira add craft and energy around him, and Ayari and Tounekti carry the attacking threat. This isn’t a squad with big-club superstars, but it’s a well-organised unit that won’t give goals away easily and could make opponents work harder than expected.
The path to Tunisia’s first-ever knockout round starts with Sweden on June 14. Win that, and a draw against Japan could be enough. The Netherlands are a step up in quality. Lamouchi is still new to this group and carrying the pressure of leaving his top qualifier scorer at home.
Whether these Eagles, under a coach still finding his feet, can finally break Tunisia’s six-tournament group-stage curse is the defining question of their tournament.
