Tunisia is another one of the many countries at the 2026 World Cup with a significant number of dual-national players on its roster. Among them is Montassar Talbi, who was born in France and has 64 caps for the national team.
Talbi is one of 15 overseas-born players suited up for the Eagles of Carthage at the World Cup. It’s a remarkably high number for Tunisia, which enters the tournament with a solid FIFA ranking and high hopes of making a deep run.
Tunisia’s high number of overseas-born players is driven by its massive diaspora. The majority of these players, including Dylan Bronn, Yan Valery, and Hannibal Mejbri, hail from France, home to a major Tunisian community.
Tunisia’s 15 foreign-born players
Among the veterans is Ellyes Skhiri, who was born in Lunel, France. He started his youth career there and made his professional debut in Ligue 1. Skhiri has 81 caps for Tunisia and serves as a crucial anchor in the national team’s midfield.
- Montassar Talbi (France)
- Ellyes Skhiri (France)
- Dylan Bronn (France)
- Omar Rekik (Netherlands)
- Adem Arous (Saudi Arabia)
- Yan Valery (France)
- Moutaz Neffati (Sweden)
- Hannibal Mejbri (France)
- Ismaël Gharbi (France)
- Rani Khedira (Germany)
- Anis Ben Slimane (Denmark)
- Elias Achouri (France)
- Elias Saad (Germany)
- Rayan Elloumi (Canada)
- Sebastian Tounekti (Norway)
On the younger side of the spectrum is 18-year-old Rayan Elloumi. Born in Canada, the Vancouver Whitecaps prospect already logged four appearances for the national team ahead of the World Cup.
As the list shows, nearly all of them were born in France, where an estimated 600,000 to 750,000 Tunisians live across the country. Like several other African nations, Tunisia’s diaspora is heavily concentrated in Europe, where these players developed their game.
