At the FIFA World Cup, there’s no margin for error — even with more teams advancing from the group stage in 2026. If you don’t take our word for it, just look at Tunisia, who are reportedly firing head coach Sabri Lamouchi after only one game.
According to journalist and author Romain Molina, the Tunisian soccer federation is parting ways with the manager following the disastrous debut against Sweden, who beat Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday.
This makes the 54-year-old the first coach to be fired at the 2026 World Cup, with his dismissal coming immediately after the debut. It also marks the end of Lamouchi’s tenure after just five months and five games at the helm, a period in which Tunisia celebrated only one victory, with one draw and three losses.
Reported tension behind Lamouchi’s firing
Word on the street is that there’s more than meets the eye behind Lamouchi’s firing, as the loss to Sweden was reportedly just the final straw amid rumors of internal tension within Tunisia.
C'est la fin pour Sabri Lamouchi à la tête de la sélection tunisienne 🇹🇳
— Romain Molina (@Romain_Molina) June 15, 2026
Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM reports that Tunisian delegation leaders called for an emergency meeting to discuss the manager’s future, while a witness revealed seeing a fight between Lamouchi’s son and a fan.
Not the first time Tunisia fire a coach at a World Cup
Tunisia had already fired a manager during a World Cup once, having removed Henryk Kasperczak from the coaching position in 1998. The difference is that, on that occasion, they did so after two games instead of one.
A 2-0 loss to England followed by a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Colombia sealed Kasperczak’s fate, but the team still returned home in the group stage after a 1-1 tie against Romania with Ali Selmi at the helm.
What’s next for Tunisia at the 2026 World Cup
Bottom of Group F with no points and a -4 goal differential, the 45th ranked nation on the FIFA ranking faces a steep hill to climb to reach the knockout phase. Tunisia’s next game will be on Sunday, June 21 (12 AM ET) against Japan (2nd with one point), before closing out the group stage against the Netherlands (3rd with one point) on June 25 (7 PM ET).
Lamouchi’s replacement has yet to be revealed, but assistant coach Wahbi Khazri has already been mentioned as a potential candidate. Tunisia have a big decision to make.
