Quick Answer — Tunisia have played at seven World Cups — 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022 and 2026 — and have never gone beyond the group stage. Their finest hours are the 3-1 win over Mexico in 1978, the first World Cup victory by any African or Arab nation, and the 1-0 defeat of reigning champions France in 2022. Their darkest is 2026: a team that qualified without conceding a single goal lost all three matches at the finals, went through two coaches in eleven days, and finished bottom of Group F with a goal difference of minus ten. The all-time record now stands at 21 played, three wins, five draws and thirteen defeats.
Few national teams carry a record as strange as Tunisia’s. Across nearly half a century the Eagles of Carthage have beaten world champions, made continental history, and earned a reputation as one of the hardest sides in Africa to break down — and they have gone home after three games every single time. This is the full story, tournament by tournament, from Rosario in 1978 to Kansas City in 2026.
Tunisia’s World Cup record at a glance
- Appearances: 7 — 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022 and 2026
- Best finish: group stage (9th place, 1978)
- All-time record: 21 played — 3 wins, 5 draws, 13 defeats
- Famous wins: Mexico (1978), Panama (2018) and reigning world champions France (2022)
- Historic first: in 1978 Tunisia became the first African and Arab nation to win a World Cup match
- Worst campaign: 2026 — three defeats, two goals scored, twelve conceded
1978 Argentina: the breakthrough
Tunisia’s debut remains their finest hour. As Africa’s sole representative in Argentina, the Eagles of Carthage faced Mexico in Rosario and, after falling behind to a first-half penalty, roared back to win 3-1 through goals from Ali Kaabi, Nejib Ghommidh and Mokhtar Dhouib. It was the first time an African or Arab side had won a match at the World Cup — a landmark moment for the whole continent. The story of that team is told in full in our feature on the 1978 World Cup.
They were not finished. A narrow 1-0 loss to Poland was followed by a disciplined goalless draw with reigning champions West Germany, a performance that earned Tunisia admirers around the world. They went out at the group stage but finished a creditable ninth, still their best World Cup placing.
1998 France: the long-awaited return
It took 20 years for Tunisia to reach the finals again. Drawn into a tough group with England, Colombia and Romania, they lost 2-0 to England and 1-0 to Colombia before salvaging a 1-1 draw with Romania, Skander Souayah converting from the penalty spot. Three games, one point, and an early flight home.
2002 Korea/Japan: another early exit
In a group containing Russia, Belgium and co-hosts Japan, Tunisia again struggled to make their mark. A 2-0 defeat to Russia was followed by a 1-1 draw with Belgium, Raouf Bouzaiene scoring, before a 2-0 loss to Japan ended their tournament. One point from three games, a repeat of the 1998 story.
2006 Germany: so close to a first knockout berth
This was arguably Tunisia’s best chance to advance. They opened with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia, Ziad Jaziri and a stoppage-time Radhi Jaïdi header earning a point, and pushed Spain before losing 3-1 (Hamed Namouchi on target). A 1-0 defeat to Ukraine in the decider, however, sent them home once more.
2018 Russia: a first win in 40 years
After a 12-year absence, Tunisia returned in Russia alongside England, Belgium and Panama. They pushed England hard before losing 2-1, were overwhelmed 5-2 by a brilliant Belgium, and then signed off with a 2-1 win over Panama — their first World Cup victory since that famous night against Mexico in 1978. The result restored pride, even if qualification was already out of reach.
2022 Qatar: the night they beat the world champions
Tunisia’s most celebrated modern moment came in Qatar. Drawn with France, Denmark and Australia, they opened with a goalless draw against the Danes, then lost 1-0 to Australia. In their final game, Wahbi Khazri struck to beat reigning world champions France 1-0 — a stunning result against a rotated but star-studded side. Cruelly, results elsewhere meant even this famous win was not enough, and Tunisia exited at the group stage yet again.
2026 USA/Canada/Mexico: the record, then the collapse
Tunisia’s seventh World Cup began with history before a ball was kicked at the finals: they became the first team ever to qualify for a World Cup without conceding a single goal, sealing their place with a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea. Eleven days in June undid that reputation completely.
The opener in Monterrey was a rout. Sweden won 5-1 — Yasin Ayari scored two long-range stunners, one in each half, with Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres and Mattias Svanberg adding the rest. Tunisia’s only reply was a glancing Omar Rekik header from a Hannibal Mejbri cross just before half-time. Coach Sabri Lamouchi was dismissed that night, and the federation turned to Hervé Renard — the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries — to rescue the campaign. Read our profile of Renard here.
It did not work. Japan scored inside four minutes in Monterrey and won 4-0, a result that — combined with the Netherlands’ win over Sweden — eliminated Tunisia with a game still to play. The campaign closed in Kansas City with a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands, in which captain Ellyes Skhiri turned the ball into his own net in the third minute; the consolation came from Hazem Mastouri, heading in a Mejbri corner on his World Cup debut. The full qualification arithmetic is laid out in Can Tunisia Qualify for the Last 16?, and the individual matches in our reports on Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands.
Renard had always described the job as a World Cup mission, with nothing signed beyond it, and he left once the tournament was over. On July 28, 2026, the Tunisian Football Federation appointed Mouine Chaâbani as head coach on a four-year contract. The 45-year-old former Espérance defender is the most decorated Tunisian coach of his generation: two CAF Champions League titles with Espérance in 2018 and 2019, then a Moroccan league title and the 2024–25 CAF Confederation Cup with RS Berkane. His brief is a rebuild aimed at 2030.
The qualifying record still stands. So does the group-stage barrier — now into a seventh tournament.
Why have Tunisia never gone beyond the group stage?
For six tournaments the pattern was consistent: Tunisia were organised, hard to beat and capable of upsetting anyone on their day, but they rarely had the cutting edge to turn tight games into wins. Of their 18 World Cup matches before 2026, ten were draws or decided by a single goal. The defensive identity that made them so admired — never more so than in a 2026 qualifying campaign without a goal conceded — too often came without the goals at the other end to match.
2026 broke even that pattern. For the first time, Tunisia were not narrowly edged out; they were overrun, conceding twelve goals in three games — the most they have ever let in at a single World Cup. Whatever the Chaâbani era brings, it starts from the lowest point in the team’s World Cup history.
Tunisia at the World Cup: the full list
- 1978 Argentina: beat Mexico 3-1, lost to Poland 0-1, drew West Germany 0-0
- 1998 France: lost to England 0-2, lost to Colombia 0-1, drew Romania 1-1
- 2002 Korea/Japan: lost to Russia 0-2, drew Belgium 1-1, lost to Japan 0-2
- 2006 Germany: drew Saudi Arabia 2-2, lost to Spain 1-3, lost to Ukraine 0-1
- 2018 Russia: lost to England 1-2, lost to Belgium 2-5, beat Panama 2-1
- 2022 Qatar: drew Denmark 0-0, lost to Australia 0-1, beat France 1-0
- 2026 USA/Canada/Mexico: lost to Sweden 1-5, lost to Japan 0-4, lost to Netherlands 1-3
FAQ
How many times has Tunisia played at the World Cup? Seven times: 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022 and 2026.
Has Tunisia ever reached the World Cup knockout stage? No. Tunisia have never advanced beyond the group stage. Their best finish was ninth, on their debut in 1978.
When did Tunisia first play at a World Cup? At Argentina 1978, where they beat Mexico 3-1 to become the first African and Arab nation to win a World Cup match.
Did Tunisia really beat France at the World Cup? Yes. Tunisia beat reigning world champions France 1-0 at Qatar 2022, with Wahbi Khazri scoring — though they were still eliminated at the group stage.
How did Tunisia do at the 2026 World Cup? They lost all three Group F matches — 1-5 to Sweden, 0-4 to Japan and 1-3 to the Netherlands — and finished bottom with no points.
What is Tunisia’s overall World Cup record? 21 matches: three wins, five draws and thirteen defeats.
Who is Tunisia’s coach now? Mouine Chaâbani, appointed in July 2026 on a four-year contract. He succeeded Hervé Renard, who had taken over mid-tournament from Sabri Lamouchi.
From the Carthage Magazine Bookshelf
Football is one way into Tunisia. These three are the others:
- All About Tunisia — the definitive English-language traveler’s guide. 572 pages, 27 chapters, all nine regions, every UNESCO inscription, five thematic trails. $24.99 · PDF & EPUB.
- Speak Like a Local — 200+ Tunisian Arabic phrases with native audio recorded in Tunis. Including everything you’ll need in a café on match night. $14.99 · PDF, EPUB, MP3.
- The Authentic Tunisian Cookbook — sixty traditional recipes from the heart of North Africa. $9.99 · PDF & EPUB.
All three available as a bundle for $39.99 — guide, language, and food, delivered together.
