Tunisia have parted ways with head coach Sabri Lamouchi after the team’s disappointing start to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The North African side suffered a heavy 5 to 1 defeat against Sweden in their opening Group F match on Sunday at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, Mexico. The result sparked immediate speculation about Lamouchi’s future.
Although reports initially claimed that Tunisia had dismissed the French coach right after the defeat, he still led training on Monday. However, the Tunisian Football Association later confirmed that both parties agreed to end the contract.
Historic World Cup Exit for Lamouchi
Lamouchi’s departure has created an unwanted World Cup record. He became the first manager in tournament history to lose his job after managing only one match at a World Cup.
The 54 year old coach took charge of Tunisia in January. He replaced Sami Trabelsi following Tunisia’s last 16 exit against Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations.
His time in charge lasted only five months.
Herve Renard Takes Charge
Tunisia have quickly appointed experienced coach Herve Renard as their new manager. Renard will remain in charge until the end of the World Cup campaign.
The Frenchman brings significant international experience. He previously managed Morocco and Saudi Arabia and is well known for guiding teams through major tournaments.
Tunisia hope his leadership can revive their campaign after a difficult start.
Poor Results Led to the Decision
Lamouchi struggled to achieve positive results during his short spell with the national team.
He won only one of his five matches as Tunisia coach. His only victory came in a 1 to 0 win over Haiti in his first game.
The warning signs appeared before the World Cup. Tunisia lost 1 to 0 to Austria in a warm up match. They then suffered a crushing 5 to 0 defeat against Belgium.
Those performances raised concerns about the team’s form heading into the tournament.
Lamouchi Reacts to Defeat
After the loss against Sweden, Lamouchi admitted that Tunisia made too many costly mistakes.
He described the result as painful and acknowledged that the team hurt itself with repeated errors throughout the match.
The defeat left Tunisia facing an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stage.
Tough Challenges Ahead
Tunisia must now regroup quickly under Renard’s leadership.
The team still has two difficult Group F fixtures remaining. They will face Japan and the Netherlands as they attempt to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
With a new coach in charge, Tunisia will aim to deliver a stronger performance and avoid an early exit from the tournament.
