Tunisia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tunisia

Nicknames	نسور قرطاج (Eagles of Carthage)
Association	Tunisian Football Federation (TFF)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	UNAF (North Africa)
Head coach	Vacant
Captain	Ellyes Skhiri
Most caps	Radhi Jaïdi (105)
Top scorer	Issam Jemâa (36)
Home stadium	Hammadi Agrebi Stadium
FIFA code	TUN
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	28 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	14 (April – May 2018)
Lowest	65 (July 2010)
First international
Tunisia 4–2 Libya  (Tunis, Tunisia; 2 June 1957)
Biggest win
Tunisia 8–1 Taiwan  (Rome, Italy; 18 August 1960)  Tunisia 7–0 Togo  (Tunis, Tunisia; 7 January 2000)  Tunisia 7–0 Malawi  (Tunis, Tunisia; 26 March 2005)  Tunisia 8–1 Djibouti  (Tunis, Tunisia; 12 June 2015)
Biggest defeat
Hungary 10–1 Tunisia  (Budapest, Hungary; 24 July 1960)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1978)
Best result	Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	22 (first in 1962)
Best result	Champions (2004)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 2011)
Best result	Champions (2011)
Arab Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 1963)
Best result	Champions (1963)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2005)
Best result	Group stage (2005)
Medal record Men's Football Africa Cup of Nations 2004 Tunisia Team 1965 Tunisia Team 1996 South Africa Team Bronze 1962 Ethiopia Team African Nations Championship 2011 Sudan Team African Games 1991 Cairo Team Bronze 2007 Algiers Team Arab Cup 1963 Lebanon Team 2021 Qatar Team Palestine Cup of Nations 1973 Libya Team Arab Games 1957 Lebanon Team Mediterranean Games 2001 Tunis Team 1971 Izmir Team Bronze 1975 Alger Team Bronze 2013 Mersin Team
Website	(in French)

The Tunisia national football team represents Tunisia in international football games. It's managed by the Tunisian Football Federation (TFF). This team plays in competitions organized by the CAF in Africa and FIFA worldwide. They are also part of the Union of North African Football and the Union of Arab Football Associations. Fans often call them the Eagles of Carthage, and a bald eagle is their symbol. Their home uniform is white, and their away uniform is red, just like the Tunisian flag.

The team qualified for the FIFA World Cup seven times and the Africa Cup of Nations 22 times. They also played in four Summer Olympics and one FIFA Confederations Cup. Since 2001, their main home stadium has been the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, Tunis.

Tunisia's first game after gaining independence was against Libya, which they won 4–2. They first played in the FIFA World Cup in 1978. They made history by beating Mexico 3–1, becoming the first African and Arab team to win a World Cup match. Tunisia has appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations 17 times in a row, from 1994 to 2025. They won the 2004 African Cup of Nations, which led them to the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. They also won the African Nations Championship in 2011 and the FIFA Arab Cup in 1963.

Radhi Jaïdi played the most games for Tunisia, with 105 matches. Issam Jemâa is their top scorer with 36 goals. Their highest FIFA Men's World Ranking was 14th in April and May 2018. On October 13, 2025, Tunisia made history by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup without letting any opponent score a goal during the qualifying games.

The Story of Tunisian Football

Early Days: Before Independence (1928–1956)

The Tunisian football team in 1939.

Before Tunisia became an independent country, a football team was created in 1928. It brought together the best Tunisian players from their local league. Their very first game was on March 11, 1928, against a French team, which they lost.

Tunisia celebrated its first win in 1932, beating French Algeria 1–0. During these early years, most of their games were against French teams. These matches often took place at the Stade Vélodrome in Tunis.

Becoming Independent and Playing Internationally (1956–1962)

Tunisia became independent from France on March 20, 1956. The Tunisian Football Federation was started in 1957. Tunisia joined FIFA and the Confederation of African Football in 1960. Their first official game was at the 1957 Arab Games, where they beat Libya 4–3. They reached the final but lost to Syria.

In 1960, Tunisia qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics. This was their first big international event. They played against strong teams like Poland and Argentina.

A Golden Era and First World Cup (1962–1978)

Tunisia playing against Egypt during the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In 1962, Tunisia played in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time. They finished third in the tournament. The team also won the 1963 Arab Cup. In 1965, Tunisia hosted the 1965 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the final, but lost to Ghana.

In 1973, the team won the 1973 Palestine Cup of Nations, winning all six of their matches. In 1975, Abdelmajid Chetali became the coach. Tunisia then qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1978. They made history by beating Mexico 3–1, becoming the first African and Arab team to win a World Cup match. They also drew with West Germany but did not move past the group stage.

Challenges and Rebuilding (1978–1994)

After their first World Cup, Tunisia faced some tough times. They only qualified for two major tournaments between 1980 and 1992: the 1982 African Cup of Nations and the 1988 Summer Olympics. In both, they were knocked out early.

Tunisia hosted the 1994 African Cup of Nations, but they finished at the bottom of their group. This period was difficult for the team.

A Strong Comeback and More World Cups (1994–2026)

Tunisia playing against Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Tunisia playing against Mali at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Tunisia playing against Denmark at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Things started to look up for Tunisia after 1994. They reached the final of the 1996 African Cup of Nations, losing to South Africa. They also qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup after a 20-year break. They played against England and Colombia, but did not advance from the group stage.

In 2002, Tunisia made another World Cup appearance. They drew with Belgium but lost to Russia and Japan, exiting in the group stage.

Winning the Africa Cup of Nations (2002–2008)

Tunisia playing against the Netherlands in a friendly game at the 7 November Stadium in 2009.

In September 2002, Roger Lemerre became the new coach. Tunisia hosted the 2004 African Cup of Nations and won the title for the first time! They beat Morocco in the final. This made Lemerre the first coach to win two different continental tournaments.

As champions, Tunisia played in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. They won one game against Australia. Tunisia also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, drawing with Saudi Arabia. They reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

Ups and Downs (2008–2014)

Tunisia playing against Ivory Coast at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

After 2008, Tunisia faced some disappointments. They did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup. They were eliminated early from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. In 2010, their FIFA World Rankings dropped to 65th, their lowest ever.

The team qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the quarter-finals. In the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, they won against Algeria but were knocked out in the group stage. They almost missed the 2014 World Cup qualifiers but advanced after another team was disqualified. However, they were then beaten by Cameroon.

Recent Tournaments and World Cup Appearances (2014–2026)

In 2014, Georges Leekens became coach, and the team's FIFA ranking improved. Tunisia qualified for the 2015 African Cup of Nations and topped their group. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Henryk Kasperczak returned as coach in 2015. He led the team to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

In 2017, Nabil Maâloul became coach again and guided Tunisia to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Their strong performance led to their highest-ever FIFA ranking of 14th. In the World Cup, Tunisia lost to England and Belgium, but won their last game against Panama 2–1.

Tunisia qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the semi-finals for the first time in 15 years. They lost to Senegal. In 2021, the team started their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification strongly. They also reached the final of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup but lost to Algeria.

At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (played in early 2022), Tunisia defeated Nigeria in the round of 16 but were eliminated by Burkina Faso. In March 2022, Tunisia qualified for their sixth World Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They won the 2022 Kirin Cup Soccer title. In the 2022 World Cup, Tunisia drew with Denmark and lost to Australia. They achieved a historic 1–0 victory over world champions France but did not advance from the group stage.

Challenges and Recent Tournaments (2023–2026)

After the 2022 World Cup, the team faced some difficulties. They qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia had a poor performance, losing to Namibia and drawing with Mali and South Africa, which led to their elimination in the group stage.

In March 2024, Tunisia participated in the Egyptian Capital Cup, a friendly tournament. They finished third after winning a penalty shootout against New Zealand. On October 13, 2025, Tunisia made history by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup without letting any opponent score a goal during the qualifying games. They also achieved a 1–1 draw against Brazil in a friendly match in November 2025.

In the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, Tunisia was eliminated from the group stage. The team then played in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a penalty shootout loss to Mali. In June 2026, Tunisia participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They lost their group matches against Sweden, Japan, and Netherlands, and were eliminated from the tournament.

Home Stadiums

From 1956 to 1967, the Chedly Zouiten Stadium was Tunisia's national stadium. It hosted matches for the 1965 African Cup of Nations and the 1994 African Cup of Nations. In 1967, the El Menzah Stadium opened. It was built for the 1967 Mediterranean Games. Tunisia played its last match there in 2017, and the stadium has been under renovation since 2022.

In 2001, the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium (originally called 7 November Stadium) became Tunisia's main stadium. It's located in Radès, near Tunis, and can hold 60,000 people. Tunisia won the 2004 African Cup of Nations there. This stadium is still the team's main home ground.

The team also plays matches at the Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium in Monastir, which holds 20,000 fans. Other stadiums like the Sousse Olympic Stadium and the Gabès Municipal Stadium have also hosted games.

Tunisia national football team home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	Hammadi Agrebi Stadium	60,000	Radès	v  Jordan (14 November 2025; Friendly)

Team Rivalries

Tunisia playing against Algeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Tunisia has strong football rivalries with its neighbors: Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt. These countries share close cultural ties.

Tunisia has played 45 games against Algeria. Algeria has a slight lead with 16 wins, compared to Tunisia's 14 wins and 14 draws. They met in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and 2017, with Tunisia winning both. Algeria won their FIFA Arab Cup match in 2021.

Egypt and Tunisia have played 35 times. Tunisia has won 16 matches, Egypt 11, and 8 games were draws. Tunisia and Morocco have played 50 games. They met in many World Cup qualifiers and four African Cup of Nations tournaments. Tunisia won against Morocco in the 2004 and 2012 AFCONs.

Team Image

Supporters

Tunisian fans in Berlin at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Fans of the Tunisian national team proudly wave the country's national flag, especially showing off the red color.

Kit Manufacturer

Period	Kit supplier	Ref
1956–1969	Local equipment
1970–1993	Adidas
1994–1995	Guidas
1996–1997	Kappa
1998–1999	Lotto
2000–2001	Uhlsport
2002–2011	Puma
2011–2016	Burrda Sport
2016–2018	Uhlsport
2019–2026	Kappa

Recent Match Results

Here are some of Tunisia's recent match results.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2025 Matches

• September 4, 2025: Tunisia won 3–0 against Liberia in a World Cup qualifier.
• September 8, 2025: Tunisia won 1–0 against Equatorial Guinea in a World Cup qualifier.
• October 10, 2025: Tunisia won 6–0 against São Tomé and Príncipe in a World Cup qualifier.
• October 13, 2025: Tunisia won 3–0 against Namibia in a World Cup qualifier.
• November 12, 2025: Tunisia drew 1–1 with Mauritania in a friendly match.
• November 14, 2025: Tunisia won 3–2 against Jordan in a friendly match.
• November 18, 2025: Tunisia drew 1–1 with Brazil in a friendly match.
• December 1, 2025: Tunisia lost 0–1 to Syria in the FIFA Arab Cup group stage.
• December 4, 2025: Tunisia drew 2–2 with Palestine in the FIFA Arab Cup group stage.
• December 7, 2025: Tunisia won 3–0 against Qatar in the FIFA Arab Cup group stage.
• December 18, 2025: Tunisia won 2–1 against Botswana in a friendly match.
• December 23, 2025: Tunisia won 3–1 against Uganda in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage.
• December 27, 2025: Tunisia lost 2–3 to Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage.
• December 30, 2025: Tunisia drew 1–1 with Tanzania in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage.

2026 Matches

• January 3, 2026: Tunisia drew 1–1 with Mali in the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16, losing 3–2 on penalties.
• March 28, 2026: Tunisia won 1–0 against Haiti in a friendly match.
• March 31, 2026: Tunisia drew 0–0 with Canada in a friendly match.
• June 1, 2026: Tunisia lost 0–1 to Austria in a friendly match.
• June 6, 2026: Tunisia lost 0–5 to Belgium in a friendly match.
• June 14, 2026: Tunisia lost 1–5 to Sweden in the FIFA World Cup group stage.
• June 20, 2026: Tunisia lost 0–4 to Japan in the FIFA World Cup group stage.
• June 25, 2026: Tunisia lost 1–3 to Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup group stage.

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Vacant
Assistant coach	Frédéric Biancalani
Goalkeeping coach	Gilles Fouache
Fitness coach	David Barriac Anas Gazouz
Analyst	Wahbi Khazri Alexandre Kerveillant Helmi Kechaou Anis Ben Mlik
Team doctor	Fayçal Khachnaoui

Players

Current Squad

The following 26 players were part of the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and friendly matches in June 2026. Caps and goals are correct as of June 25, 2026, after the match against the Netherlands.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mouhib Chamakh	(2001-08-25) 25 August 2001 (age 24)	4	0	Club Africain
16	1GK	Aymen Dahmen	(1997-01-28) 28 January 1997 (age 29)	39	0	CS Sfaxien
22	1GK	Sabri Ben Hessen	(1996-06-13) 13 June 1996 (age 30)	2	0	Étoile du Sahel
2	2DF	Ali Abdi	(1993-12-20) 20 December 1993 (age 32)	49	7	Nice
3	2DF	Montassar Talbi	(1998-05-26) 26 May 1998 (age 28)	67	4	Lorient
4	2DF	Omar Rekik	(2001-12-20) 20 December 2001 (age 24)	8	1	Maribor
5	2DF	Adem Arous	(2004-07-17) 17 July 2004 (age 22)	2	0	Kasımpaşa
6	2DF	Dylan Bronn	(1995-06-19) 19 June 1995 (age 31)	53	2	Servette
12	2DF	Mortadha Ben Ouanes	(1994-07-02) 2 July 1994 (age 32)	19	0	Kasımpaşa
20	2DF	Yan Valery	(1999-02-22) 22 February 1999 (age 27)	25	0	Sheffield Wednesday
21	2DF	Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida	(1995-12-15) 15 December 1995 (age 30)	16	0	Espérance de Tunis
23	2DF	Moutaz Neffati	(2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 21)	5	0	IFK Norrköping
24	2DF	Raed Chikhaoui	(2004-06-09) 9 June 2004 (age 22)	0	0	US Monastir
10	3MF	Hannibal Mejbri	(2003-01-21) 21 January 2003 (age 23)	48	1	Burnley
11	3MF	Ismaël Gharbi	(2004-04-10) 10 April 2004 (age 22)	20	2	Braga
13	3MF	Rani Khedira	(1994-01-27) 27 January 1994 (age 32)	6	0	Union Berlin
15	3MF	Hadj Mahmoud	(2000-04-24) 24 April 2000 (age 26)	11	0	Lugano
17	3MF	Ellyes Skhiri (captain)	(1995-05-10) 10 May 1995 (age 31)	86	4	Eintracht Frankfurt
25	3MF	Anis Ben Slimane	(2001-03-16) 16 March 2001 (age 25)	44	4	Norwich City
7	4FW	Elias Achouri	(1999-02-10) 10 February 1999 (age 27)	33	4	Copenhagen
8	4FW	Elias Saad	(1999-12-27) 27 December 1999 (age 26)	17	4	FC Augsburg
9	4FW	Hazem Mastouri	(1997-06-18) 18 June 1997 (age 29)	20	5	Dynamo Makhachkala
14	4FW	Khalil Ayari	(2005-02-02) 2 February 2005 (age 21)	4	0	Paris Saint-Germain
18	4FW	Rayan Elloumi	(2007-09-17) 17 September 2007 (age 18)	4	0	Vancouver Whitecaps
19	4FW	Firas Chaouat	(1996-05-08) 8 May 1996 (age 30)	33	6	Club Africain
26	4FW	Sebastian Tounekti	(2002-07-13) 13 July 2002 (age 24)	15	1	Celtic

Honours and Awards

The Tunisian national team has won two official senior titles: the 2004 African Cup of Nations and the 2011 African Nations Championship. They also won two regional competitions: the 1963 Arab Cup and the 1973 Palestine Cup of Nations. The team has also won many friendly tournaments.

Awards

• African National Team of the Year
  • First place: 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005
  • Second place: 1996, 1997

Decorations

•  Tunisia: Officers of the National Order of Merit (February 24, 2004)

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Túnez para niños

• Tunisian Football Federation
• Tunisia A' national football team
• Tunisia national under-23 football team
• Tunisia national under-20 football team
• Tunisia national under-18 football team
• Tunisia national under-17 football team
• Tunisia national under-15 football team
• Tunisia women's national football team
• Tunisia women's national under-20 football team
• Tunisia women's national under-17 football team