_Tunisia World Cup 2026_ Full Squad List, Group An
Full 26-man squad (Tunisia, World Cup 2026)
Official 26-player list as named for the World Cup and June friendlies vs Austria and Belgium.[^1]
Goalkeepers[^1]
- Mouhib Chamakh – Club Africain[^1]
- Aymen Dahmen – CS Sfaxien[^1]
- Sabri Ben Hessen – Étoile du Sahel[^1]
Defenders[^1]
- Ali Abdi – Nice[^1]
- Montassar Talbi – Lorient[^1]
- Omar Rekik – Maribor[^1]
- Adem Arous – Kasımpaşa[^1]
- Dylan Bronn – Servette[^1]
- Mortadha Ben Ouanes – Kasımpaşa[^1]
- Yan Valery – Sheffield Wednesday[^1]
- Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida – Espérance de Tunis[^1]
- Moutaz Neffati – IFK Norrköping[^1]
- Raed Chikhaoui – US Monastir[^1]
Midfielders[^1]
- Hannibal Mejbri – Burnley[^1]
- Ismaël Gharbi – FC Augsburg[^1]
- Rani Khedira – Union Berlin[^1]
- Hadj Mahmoud – Lugano[^1]
- Ellyes Skhiri (captain) – Eintracht Frankfurt[^1]
- Anis Ben Slimane – Norwich City[^1]
Forwards[^1]
- Elias Achouri – Copenhagen[^1]
- Elias Saad – Hannover 96[^1]
- Hazem Mastouri – Dynamo Makhachkala[^1]
- Khalil Ayari – Paris Saint‑Germain[^1]
- Rayan Elloumi – Vancouver Whitecaps[^1]
- Firas Chaouat – Club Africain[^1]
- Sebastian Tounekti – Celtic[^1]
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Group, opponents and format
Tunisia are in Group F alongside:[^6][^2][^7][^5]
- Netherlands
- Japan
- Sweden
In the 48‑team format, the top two in each group qualify for the last 32, plus the eight best third‑placed teams, so third place can still be enough to advance.[^2]
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Fixtures: dates, stadiums, kickoff times
Based on the current official schedule (local stadium times shown). Dates align across FIFA/major outlets; slight differences you’ll see elsewhere are usually time‑zone conversions.[^8][^7][^5][^9][^2][^1]
| Match | Date (2026) | City \& Stadium | Local kickoff time* |
| :– | :– | :– | :– |
| Sweden vs Tunisia | 14 June | Guadalupe (Monterrey), Estadio BBVA | 20:00 local (listed as UTC−6)[^1][^5] |
| Tunisia vs Japan | 20 June | Guadalupe (Monterrey), Estadio BBVA | 22:00 local (UTC−6)[^1][^5] |
| Tunisia vs Netherlands | 25 June | Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium | 18:00 local (UTC−5)[^1][^2] |
\*Treat UTC offsets as per the published fixture lists; local TV listings may show slightly different times once daylight‑saving adjustments are fully locked in.[^2][^1]
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Manager and tactical approach
- Head coach: Sabri Lamouchi (appointed ahead of the tournament).[^4][^10][^2][^1]
- Under Lamouchi, Tunisia qualified for 2026 with nine wins, one draw, 22 scored and 0 conceded, the first team ever to reach a World Cup having allowed no goals in qualifying.[^3][^5][^4]
From results and personnel, you can expect:
- A compact, defence‑first side, comfortable in a mid/low block, leaning heavily on centre‑back Montassar Talbi, full‑back Ali Abdi and screening midfielder Skhiri.[^5][^2][^1]
- Midfield built around Skhiri as the 6 with high‑energy shuttlers like Hannibal Mejbri and Anis Ben Slimane to press and drive transitions.[^5][^1]
- Attacks likely focused on quick counters and wing play, using Achouri, Saad, Mastouri and Tounekti to run channels and attack space rather than dominate possession vs stronger sides like Netherlands or Japan.[^11][^2][^1]
The qualification numbers plus friendly performances (e.g. a 1–1 draw away to Brazil in Lille) back up the picture of a highly organised team that can frustrate favourites and live on moments in transition.[^4][^1]
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Key players to watch
Grounded in how mainstream previews and federations talk about them:[^6][^11][^5][^1]
- Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt, DM) – Captain, tactical brain and defensive shield; his work rate and reading of play underpin the entire structure.[^5][^1]
- Montassar Talbi (Lorient, CB) – Leader at the back, strong in aerial duels and 1v1s; vital to the “no goals conceded in qualifying” storyline.[^2][^5][^1]
- Ali Abdi (Nice, LB) – Provides width, overlaps and set‑piece threat from left‑back, while still being trusted to defend in a low block.[^2][^1]
- Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley, CM/AM) – High‑energy ball‑carrier and presser, capable of breaking lines and adding chaos between the lines.[^6][^1]
- Elias Achouri (Copenhagen, WF/CF) – One of their main attacking outlets, used wide or central, and important for pressing from the front.[^11][^1]
- Hazem Mastouri \& Elias Saad (forwards) – Emerging goal threats; Mastouri scored repeatedly in qualifiers and friendlies, while Saad’s pace adds a direct option from the bench.[^5][^1]
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World Cup history and best result
- Appearances: 7 World Cups including 2026 (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026).[^7][^3][^2][^5][^1]
- Best result: They have never gone beyond the group stage, so any progression to the last 32 would be a historic first.[^3][^2][^5][^1]
- Historic moments:
- 1978: First African and Arab team ever to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico 3–1 and drawing 0–0 with reigning champions West Germany.[^7][^3][^5]
- 2022: Famous 1–0 win over France in Qatar, with a Wahbi Khazri goal, but they still went out on tiebreakers behind Australia.[^3][^5][^1]
So 2026 is being framed locally as a chance to “finally break the group‑stage barrier” after coming close in 2022.[^7][^5][^1]
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Recent results and form heading into 2026
### Qualifying campaign
- CAF Group H: 9 wins, 1 draw, 22 scored, 0 conceded, securing their World Cup place with one of the most dominant defensive campaigns seen in African qualifying.[^4][^3][^5]
- Notable scorelines: 6–0 vs São Tomé and Príncipe, 3–0 vs Namibia, and away wins at Liberia and Equatorial Guinea.[^4][^5][^1]
### Major tournaments and friendlies (2025–early 2026)
From Tunisia’s results log and recent coverage:[^4][^1]
- 2025 AFCON (Morocco):
- Beat Uganda 3–1, lost narrowly 3–2 to Nigeria, drew 1–1 with Tanzania; went out in the last 16 to Mali on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[^1]
- 2025 FIFA Arab Cup (Qatar):
- Group exit: loss vs Syria, draw vs Palestine, 3–0 win over hosts Qatar with goals from Ben Romdhane, Meriah and Ben Ali.[^1]
- High‑profile friendly results:
- 1–1 away vs Brazil (Lille, December 2025).[^4][^1]
- 2–0 home win over Burkina Faso, 3–2 win over Jordan.[^1]
- 1–0 win away to Haiti and 0–0 away vs Canada on North American soil (March 2026).[^1]
- 1–0 loss away to Austria in June 2026; Belgium friendly scheduled just before the World Cup.[^1]
Overall: Defensive numbers are elite, attack is streaky but has enough pace and individual quality to nick games, which is exactly the kind of profile that becomes awkward in tournaments.[^3][^5][^4][^1]
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Odds to qualify from the group
Current outrights and group markets (SpreadEX and other firms, early 2026):[^12][^2][^4]
- To qualify from Group F: around 21/10 at SpreadEX for Tunisia to reach the knockout rounds.[^4]
- To be knocked out in the group: 4/6, implying the market still expects them to fall short more often than not.[^4]
- To win the World Cup: roughly 500/1, with very long odds for semi‑final/final runs (e.g. 300/1 to reach the final).[^4]
Within Group F, Netherlands are clear favourites to top the group, with Japan and Sweden generally priced shorter than Tunisia, who are seen as fourth‑favourites on paper but with a stronger underlying defensive profile than typical pot‑4 fodder.[^2][^5][^4]
From a betting/edge perspective for you as an affiliate/content guy, that combination of longish “to qualify” odds plus a genuine elite qualifying defence and disruptive style is exactly the kind of narrative angle you can build around: “Tunisia as value underdog to sneak out of Group F via third place” rather than as a dark horse to win the group outright.[^3][^5][^4][^1]
