Tunisia. The pre-tournament read.

Tunisia arrive at their seventh World Cup with the same structural identity they have carried since 1978 — defensive organisation, midfield discipline, the kind of compact mid-block that can produce a single-match result against a top-twelve nation (the 2022 France win remains the proof) but has never produced three knockout-stage-qualifying performances in a row. Trabelsi's project has been to extend the Skhiri-Mejbri spine into the 2026 cycle and hope for the kind of single match that earns the country its first ever World Cup knockout-round qualification. Group F is genuinely competitive but the route is narrow.

AGENT-AUTHOREDAgent-authored tournament read. Treat the framing and group outlook as editorial judgement; sourced facts are separated below.

Top three starsGROUNDED

Eintracht Frankfurt · Central midfield
Ellyes Skhiri
Bundesliga regular since 2019. The midfield engine and the player Tunisia's pressing-and-possession shape has been organised around for the better part of a decade.
Burnley · Attacking midfield
Hannibal Mejbri
Born in France, raised in England, chose Tunisia at senior level. The post-Khazri generation's creative voice and the player Trabelsi's attacking phases are routed through.
Union Berlin · Defensive midfield
Aïssa Laïdouni
The deep-lying midfielder who partners Skhiri. Bundesliga regular, the kind of two-way midfielder Tunisia have historically built tournament squads around.

Qualifying scorer sketchAGENT-AUTHORED

Agent-authored figures · needs verification before match-use.

01 Hannibal Mejbri · Burnley4 g · 5 of 6
02 Youssef Msakni · Al-Arabi3 g · 6 of 6
03 Naïm Sliti · Al-Ettifaq2 g · 5 of 6

Road to 2026GROUNDED

30 NOV 2022
Beat France 1-0 in the Qatar 2022 group stage
Wahbi Khazri's 58th-minute strike. Tunisia's most-cited football result in a generation — eliminated on goal difference despite the win.
15 AUG 2024
Sami Trabelsi appointed head coach
Second stint as senior head coach. Internal continuity hire after the federation's post-AFCON-2023 reshuffle.
5 DEC 2025
Drawn into Group F with Netherlands, Japan, Sweden
Netherlands are the seeded test. Japan are the experienced AFC piece. Sweden bring the Isak-Gyökeres strike force from UEFA Path B.

Did you knowGROUNDED

Tunisia have appeared at seven World Cups (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026) and never advanced past the group stage.
Tunisia's 1-0 win over France at Qatar 2022 (Wahbi Khazri's 58th-minute goal) is the country's most-cited senior football result of the modern era. Tunisia were nonetheless eliminated on goal difference behind Australia.
Tunisia's only previous AFCON title was the 2004 edition they hosted — beating Morocco 2-1 in the final in Radès.
Hannibal Mejbri made his international debut for Tunisia in 2021 and was named in the Qatar 2022 squad at age 19. He is the most-rated post-2000 Tunisian player at top-tier European club level.

Manager + squad

In charge since 1 AUG 2024

Sami Trabelsi

Tunisian, in his second senior stint with the national team (previously 2011-2013, AFCON 2012 group-stage exit). Compact 4-3-3 built around the Skhiri-Laïdouni midfield base and Mejbri as the senior creative voice. The federation's internal continuity hire after the post-AFCON 2023 reshuffle.

Squad status

Provisional squad announced — final cuts pending

The rest of Group F

Netherlands
Japan
Sweden

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