Tunisia

Tunisia enter World Cup 2026 in Group F, where the early tests are Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden. Tunisia have never won the World Cup and have never advanced beyond the group stage, though their 1978 win over Mexico was the first by an African nation at the tournament. The current squad is shaped around Youssef Msakni, Ellyes Skhiri, and Hannibal Mejbri, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. To change that story, Tunisia need compact defending and sharper final-third choices. The midfield has enough bite to disrupt Group F, but the attack must turn pressure into goals. If Tunisia can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.