Tunisia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tunisia

Nickname(s)	نسور قرطاج (Eagles of Carthage)
Association	Tunisian Football Federation
Other affiliation	UAFA (Arab World)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	UNAF (North Africa)
Head coach	Kais Yaâkoubi (caretaker)
Captain	Youssef Msakni
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 Chinese Taipei  (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	6 (first in 1978)
Best result	Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	21 (first in 1962)
Best result	Champions (2004)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 2011)
Best result	Champions (2011)
Arab Cup
Appearances	3 (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 Gold 2004 Tunisia Silver 1965 Tunisia Silver 1996 South Africa Bronze 1962 Ethiopia African Nations Championship Gold 2011 Sudan African Games Silver 1991 Cairo Bronze 2007 Algiers Arab Cup Gold 1963 Lebanon Silver 2021 Qatar Palestine Cup of Nations Gold 1973 Libya Arab Games Silver 1957 Lebanon Mediterranean Games Gold 2001 Tunis Silver 1971 Izmir Bronze 1975 Alger Bronze 2013 Mersin
Website	(in French)

The Tunisia national football team represents Tunisia in men's international football games. The Tunisian Football Federation (TFF) manages the team. They are known as the Eagles of Carthage because the bald eagle is their symbol. Their home uniform is red, and their away uniform is white, matching the Tunisian flag.

The team has played in the FIFA World Cup six times and the Africa Cup of Nations twenty-one times. They also took part in four Olympic football tournaments and one FIFA Confederation Cup. Their main stadium is the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, Tunis. Kais Yaâkoubi is the team’s current coach.

Tunisia played their first game after gaining independence on June 2, 1957. They won 4–2 against Libya. Tunisia first qualified for the World Cup in 1978. They were the first African and Arab team to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico 3–1. They have always been knocked out in the group stage.

They won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 when they hosted the event. They beat Morocco in the final. Tunisia also won the African Nations Championship in 2011 and the FIFA Arab Cup in 1963.

Radhi Jaïdi has played the most games for Tunisia, with 105 matches. Issam Jemâa is their top scorer with 36 goals. The team's highest FIFA Men's World Ranking was 14th in April and May 2018. Their lowest was 65th in July 2010. Tunisia holds the record for attending the most African Cup of Nations in a row. They have been in seventeen tournaments since 1994.

The Tunisian Football Team: A Journey Through Time

How the Team Started and Gained Independence

An unofficial Tunisian team first played in 1928. They played against the French B team and lost 8–2. Their first win was 1–0 against French Algeria in 1932. Most early games were against French teams in Tunis.

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

Early Success and First World Cup

Tunisia playing in the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification against Egypt.

In 1960, Tunisia qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics. They beat Malta, Morocco, and Sudan. In the Olympics, they lost all three games.

In 1962, Tunisia played in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time. They finished third in the tournament. The team won the 1963 Arab Cup by winning all their games. Tunisia hosted the 1965 Africa Cup of Nations and reached the final, but lost to Ghana 3–2.

In 1973, Tunisia won the 1973 Palestine Cup of Nations. They won all six of their matches, scoring 19 goals. In 1975, Abdelmajid Chetali became the coach. Tunisia qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1978. They beat Mexico 3–1, drew with West Germany, and lost to Poland. They did not move past the group stage.

Tough Times and Comebacks

After their first World Cup, Tunisia had a difficult period. Between 1980 and 1992, they only qualified for two major tournaments. These were the 1982 African Cup of Nations and the 1988 Summer Olympics. They were knocked out early in both.

Tunisia hosted the 1994 African Cup of Nations. However, they finished last in their group. This led to changes in the team's management.

Recent Years and World Cups

Henryk Kasperczak became the new coach in 1994. Tunisia reached the final of the 1996 African Cup of Nations, but lost to South Africa 2–0. They also qualified for the 1998 World Cup after 20 years. They lost to England and Colombia, and drew with Romania, again not getting past the group stage.

Roger Lemerre became coach in 2002. Tunisia hosted and won the 2004 African Cup of Nations. They beat Senegal and Nigeria, then Morocco in the final. This was their first African Cup of Nations title! Lemerre was the first coach to win two different continental tournaments.

Tunisian fans at the Olympiastadion in Berlin at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Tunisia qualified for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In the 2006 World Cup, they drew with Saudi Arabia but lost to Spain and Ukraine.

After some difficult years, Georges Leekens became coach in 2014. The team's ranking improved. Tunisia qualified for the 2015 African Cup of Nations and topped their group. They were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Tunisia–Belgium match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Nabil Maâloul became coach again in 2017. He led Tunisia to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Their FIFA ranking reached its best ever at 14th place. In the World Cup, Tunisia lost to England and Belgium. They won their last game 2–1 against Panama but did not advance from the group stage.

In 2019, Tunisia reached the semi-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 15 years. They lost to Senegal.

Tunisia qualified for their sixth World Cup, the 2022 tournament in Qatar. This was the first World Cup hosted by an Arab nation. In Group D, they drew 0–0 with Denmark. They lost 0–1 to Australia. In their final game, they beat world champions France 1–0. However, this was not enough to reach the next stage.

Where the Eagles Play: Home Stadiums

Tunisia against the Netherlands at Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès.

From 1956 to 2001, Tunisia's main stadium was Chedly Zouiten Stadium. It could hold 18,000 people. It hosted parts of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1965 and 1994.

In 2001, the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium opened in Radès, Tunis. It can hold 60,000 fans. Tunisia uses this stadium for almost all their big home games. This includes the 2004 African Cup of Nations final.

The team also plays games at the Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium in Monastir. This stadium holds 20,000 people. Other stadiums like the Sousse Olympic Stadium also host matches.

Friendly Foes: Team Rivalries

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

Tunisia and Algeria have played 45 games. Algeria has won slightly more games. They have met in World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations. Tunisia won their two Africa Cup of Nations matches against Algeria. Algeria won their FIFA Arab Cup match.

Tunisia and Egypt have played 39 times. Tunisia has won 16 games, while Egypt has won 12. 11 games ended in a draw.

Tunisia and Morocco have played 50 games. They have met many times in World Cup qualifiers. They also played four times in the Africa Cup of Nations. Tunisia won two of these matches, in 2004 and 2012.

Team Look and Feel

Media Coverage

Outside broadcasting at Hammadi Agrebi Stadium during the match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in 2009.

Tunisian Television has shown the national team's matches since Tunisia became independent. Today, BeIN Sports broadcasts their games in the Middle East and North Africa. This includes tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.

Kits and Crest

Tunisian fans in Moscow at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Many companies have made uniforms for the Tunisian national team. Adidas supplied their kits for 24 years, starting in 1970. Other brands like Lotto, Uhlsport, and Puma have also provided uniforms. Since 2019, the Italian company Kappa has been making their kits.

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
2012–2015	Burrda Sport
2016–2018	Uhlsport
2019–	Kappa

Recent Games and Team Status

Latest Match Results

Here are the results from the last year and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023 Matches

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 21 November	Malawi	0–1	Tunisia	Lilongwe, Malawi
15:00 UTC+2		https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400017623	Msakni  87' (pen.)	Stadium: Bingu National Stadium Attendance: 23,000 Referee: Aklesso Gnama (Togo)

2024 Matches

Tunisia national football team results (2020–present)

2025 Matches

Tunisia national football team results (2020–present)

Current Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head Coach	Kais Yaâkoubi (caretaker)
Assistant Coaches	Othman Najjar
Goalkeeping Coach	Mabrouk Akremi
Fitness Coaches	Ammar Nebigh
Team doctor	Souheil Chemli
Nutritionist	Anis Yaâkoubi
Performance analyst	Walid Ben Tamansourt Helmi Kachou
Physiotherapists	Akram Hbiri Majdi Turki Fethi Naoui Mohamed Gharbi

Players: Who's on the Team?

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification games in November 2024.

Information is correct as of November 18, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Amenallah Memmiche	(2004-04-20) 20 April 2004 (age 21)	5	0	Espérance de Tunis
16	1GK	Aymen Dahmen	(1997-01-28) 28 January 1997 (age 28)	19	0	CS Sfaxien
22	1GK	Moez Ben Chrifia	(1991-06-24) 24 June 1991 (age 34)	21	0	Olympique Béja
2	2DF	Ali Abdi	(1993-12-20) 20 December 1993 (age 31)	32	4	OGC Nice
3	2DF	Montassar Talbi	(1998-05-26) 26 May 1998 (age 27)	47	2	Lorient
4	2DF	Yassine Meriah	(1993-07-02) 2 July 1993 (age 32)	87	5	Espérance de Tunis
6	2DF	Mahmoud Ghorbel	(2003-12-31) 31 December 2003 (age 21)	1	0	US Monastir
12	2DF	Amin Cherni	(2001-07-07) 7 July 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Stade Lavallois
20	2DF	Hamza Mathlouthi	(1992-07-25) 25 July 1992 (age 32)	40	1	Zamalek
21	2DF	Wajdi Kechrida	(1995-11-05) 5 November 1995 (age 29)	39	0	Al-Gharafa
24	2DF	Alaa Ghram	(2001-07-24) 24 July 2001 (age 23)	4	0	FC Shakhtar Donetsk
5	3MF	Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane	(1999-09-06) 6 September 1999 (age 25)	45	3	Ferencváros
8	3MF	Hamza Rafia	(1999-04-22) 22 April 1999 (age 26)	37	4	Lecce
10	3MF	Hannibal Mejbri	(2003-01-21) 21 January 2003 (age 22)	30	0	Burnley
14	3MF	Aïssa Laïdouni	(1996-12-13) 13 December 1996 (age 28)	52	2	Al Wakrah
15	3MF	Idris El Mizouni	(2000-09-26) 26 September 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Oxford United
17	3MF	Ellyes Skhiri	(1995-05-10) 10 May 1995 (age 30)	70	3	Eintracht Frankfurt
18	3MF	Hadj Mahmoud	(2000-04-04) 4 April 2000 (age 25)	0	0	FC Lugano
7	4FW	Bilel Aït Malek	(1996-08-19) 19 August 1996 (age 28)	4	0	Club africain
9	4FW	Haythem Jouini	(1993-05-07) 7 May 1993 (age 32)	15	2	Dibba Al-Hisn
11	4FW	Amor Layouni	(1992-10-03) 3 October 1992 (age 32)	9	1	BK Häcken
9	4FW	Anas Haj Mohamed	(2005-03-26) 26 March 2005 (age 20)	4	0	Parma
19	4FW	Hazem Mastouri	(2005-03-26) 26 March 2005 (age 20)	2	0	US Monastir
23	4FW	Sayfallah Ltaief	(2000-04-12) 12 April 2000 (age 25)	16	1	FC Twente
25	4FW	Rabii Hamri	(1995-12-26) 26 December 1995 (age 29)	1	0	Olympique Béja
26	4FW	Nabil Makni	(2001-09-29) 29 September 2001 (age 23)	3	0	FC Hebar Pazardzhik

Recently Called-Up Players

These players have been called up for the team in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Bechir Ben Saïd	(1994-11-29) 29 November 1994 (age 30)	21	0	Espérance de Tunis	v.  Comoros, 15 October 2024
GK	Mouez Hassen	(1995-03-05) 5 March 1995 (age 30)	21	0	Club Africain	2024 FIFA Series
GK	Dries Arfaoui	(2004-11-23) 23 November 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Deinze	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
DF	Oussama Haddadi	(1992-01-28) 28 January 1992 (age 33)	32	0	Dibba Al Hisn	v.  Namibia, 9 June 2024
DF	Hamza Jelassi	(1991-09-29) 29 September 1991 (age 33)	3	0	Espérance de Tunis	2024 FIFA Series
MF	Samy Chouchane	(2003-09-05) 5 September 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Northampton Town	2024 FIFA Series
DF	Ghaith Zaalouni	(2002-05-06) 6 May 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Club Africain	2024 FIFA Series
DF	Ali Maâloul	(1990-01-01) 1 January 1990 (age 35)	90	3	Al Ahly	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF	Mohamed Dräger	(1996-06-25) 25 June 1996 (age 29)	39	3	Basel	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
DF	Ayman Ben Mohamed	(1994-12-08) 8 December 1994 (age 30)	14	0	Espérance de Tunis	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
DF	Omar Rekik	(2001-12-20) 20 December 2001 (age 23)	3	0	Free agent	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
MF	Ghailene Chaalali	(1994-02-28) 28 February 1994 (age 31)	32	1	Al Ahli Tripoli	v.  Namibia, 9 June 2024
MF	Mootez Zaddem	(2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 24)	3	0	Espérance de Tunis	v.  Namibia, 9 June 2024
MF	Faissal Mannai	(1996-02-03) 3 February 1996 (age 29)	0	0	US Monastir	2024 FIFA Series
MF	Anis Ben Slimane	(2001-03-16) 16 March 2001 (age 24)	35	4	Norwich City	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
MF	Firas Ben Larbi	(1996-05-27) 27 May 1996 (age 29)	13	3	Sharjah	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
MF	Ahmed Khalil	(1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 (age 30)	6	0	Club Africain	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
MF	Haykeul Chikhaoui	(1996-09-04) 4 September 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Ajman Club	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
MF	Oussama Abid	(2002-08-10) 10 August 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Étoile du Sahel	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
FW	Elias Saad	(1999-12-27) 27 December 1999 (age 25)	3	0	FC St Pauli	v.  Gambia, 8 September 2024INJ
FW	Elias Achouri	(1999-02-10) 10 February 1999 (age 26)	17	1	Copenhagen	v.  Namibia, 9 June 2024
FW	Wajdi Sahli	(1997-04-17) 17 April 1997 (age 28)	1	0	Győr	v.  Namibia, 9 June 2024
FW	Raki Aouani	(2004-09-11) 11 September 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Étoile du Sahel	v.  Namibia, 9 June 2024
FW	Bassem Srarfi	(1997-06-25) 25 June 1997 (age 28)	19	1	Club Africain	2024 FIFA SeriesINJ
FW	Naïm Sliti	(1992-07-27) 27 July 1992 (age 32)	77	14	Al Ahli Doha	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
FW	Taha Yassine Khenissi	(1992-01-06)6 January 1992 (aged 32)	50	9	Kuwait SC	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
FW	Issam Jebali	(1991-12-25) 25 December 1991 (age 33)	16	2	Gamba Osaka	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
FW	Firas Chaouat	(1996-05-08) 8 May 1996 (age 29)	12	2	Muharraq	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
FW	Hamdi Labidi	(2002-06-09) 9 June 2002 (age 23)	2	0	Club Africain	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
FW	Oussama Bouguerra	(1998-10-17) 17 October 1998 (age 26)	1	0	Espérance de Tunis	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
FW	Youssef Abdelli	(1998-09-09) 9 September 1998 (age 26)	0	0	Espérance de Tunis	2023 Africa Cup of NationsPRE
Team Achievements and Awards Continental Trophies Africa Cup of Nations Champions (1): 2004 Runners-up (2): 1965, 1996 Third place (1): 1962 African Nations Championship Champions (1): 2011 Regional Trophies FIFA Arab Cup Champions (1): 1963 Runners-up (1): 20211 Arab Games Silver Medal (1): 1957 Palestine Cup of Nations Champions (1): 1973 Kuneitra Cup Third place (1): 1974 Mediterranean Games Silver medal (1): 1971 Bronze medal (1): 1975 Friendly Tournament Wins 7th November Cup Champions (3): 1991, 1993, 1995 Catalonia International Trophy Champions (2): 2011, 2016 LG Cup Champions (1): 1997 Runners-up (1): 2006 Tripoli Fair Tournament Champions (1): 1965 Third place (1): 1962 Kirin Cup Soccer Champions (1) 2022 Tunis Four Nations Tournament Champions (1): 2003 Friendship Games Runners-up (1): 1963 Third place (1): 1984–85 Kirin Challenge Cup Runners-up (1): 2015 Malta International Tournament Third place (1): 1994 FIFA Series2 Third place: 2024 Special Awards African National Team of the Year First place: 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005 Second place: 1996, 1997 Summary of Major Titles Senior Competitition Total Africa Cup of Nations 1 2 1 4 African Nations Championship 1 0 0 1 FIFA Arab Cup1 0 1 0 1 Total 2 3 1 6 According to FIFA rules, only the official edition is counted. The 2021 FIFA Arab Cup was the first one organized by FIFA. Older tournaments were run by a regional group (Union of Arab Football Associations). These were friendly games promoted by FIFA, but not official competitions. 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-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 Other football codes Tunisia national minifootball team Tunisia national futsal team Tunisia national beach soccer team Tunisia national American football team