Tunisia’s World Cup Struggles Lead to Coaching Change

The Tunisian men’s soccer team faced a tough setback this Sunday, experiencing a significant loss to Sweden in their first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The defeat, which ended in a 5-1 scoreline, has seemingly shaken the entire team.

In response to the poor performance, Tunisia’s football federation made a swift decision and relieved coach Sabri Ramsi of his duties on Monday. Hervé Renard has now been appointed as the new manager for the remainder of the tournament. According to the federation, Renard’s contract is only for the upcoming matches, with discussions regarding a long-term deal expected later on.

Looking ahead, Tunisia still has matches scheduled against Japan and the Netherlands. Yet, the recent loss puts them in a precarious spot, especially now that Japan and the Netherlands played to a draw of 2-2, granting both teams a point. If the tournament were to end today, Japan would advance to the final stage.

Renard, who has a solid track record, coached Morocco in the 2018 World Cup and led Saudi Arabia during the 2022 tournament, famously orchestrating a victory against Argentina that caught global attention. He also had a stint with the French women’s team at the 2023 World Cup.

Interestingly, Ramsi had a brief tenure, having taken over as coach just last January. This is not the first managerial change for Tunisia during a World Cup; back in 1998, after losses to England and Colombia, they replaced coach Henryk Kasperchak before facing Romania.

In recent history, Spain also made headlines by sacking their coach Julen Lopetegui just days before their first match in the 2018 World Cup. Despite the turmoil, Spain managed to advance to the final tournament before being eliminated by Russia in a tense penalty shootout.