Tunisia are set to make their third consecutive and seventh overall appearance at the World Cup. Their qualifying campaign was nothing short of impressive, finishing unbeaten with nine wins and a single draw.
Only six players from the 2022 World Cup squad have been retained for 2026: Hannibal Mejbri, Ali Abdi, Ellyes Skhiri, Anis Ben Slimane, Montassar Talbi, and Dylan Bronn. The rest of the list reflects a significant overhaul, marked by new additions and young players earning their first major call-up. Among them is 21-year-old winger Khalil Ayari, who has made just one appearance for Tunisia in a friendly but has done enough to win over head coach Lamouchi. Rayan Loumi and promising midfielder Ismael Gharbi, who has already scored twice for the national team, have also made the cut.
The biggest surprise is the omission of captain Ferjani Sassi. The veteran midfielder, who ranks third on Tunisia's all-time caps list, featured in this year's Africa Cup of Nations squad, making his absence from the World Cup roster all the more striking. Other notable absentees include Ali Maâloul, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, and Seifeddine Jaziri.
Lamouchi acknowledged that finalizing the squad was a difficult process, but stressed that his focus was on what is best for the team. "These decisions were not easy; on the contrary, they were extremely difficult. But I am not looking to make simple decisions, nor am I looking to select players to please anyone other than the Tunisian people, neither now nor during the tournament," he said. The coach also pledged commitment and ambition from his squad: "From day one, I said that I came to give absolutely everything. I cannot promise success, but I can promise hard work and ambition. I want to hear car horns honking, see Tunisian jerseys and flags everywhere, and, above all, I want our fans to feel proud of their national team."
Tunisia have been drawn into Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden. They will open their campaign on June 14th against Sweden at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico. Before then, they will play two warm-up friendlies: against Austria on June 1st and Belgium on June 6th.
Tunisia 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sabri Ben Hessen (Etoile Sahel), Abdelmouhib Chamakh (Club Africain), Aymen Dahman (CS Sfaxien)
Defenders: Ali Abdi (Nice), Adem Arous (Kasimpasa), Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance), Dylan Bronn (Servette Geneva), Raed Chikhaoui (US Monastir), Moutaz Neffati (Norrkoping), Omar Rekik (NK Maribor), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Yan Valery (Young Boys Berne)
Midfielders: Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa), Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City), Ismael Gharbi (FC Augsburg), Rani Khedira (Union Berlin), Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano), Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley), Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Forwards: Elias Achouri (FC Copenhagen), Khalil Ayari (Paris Saint-Germain), Firas Chaouat (Club Africain), Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps), Hazem Mastouri (Dynamo Makhachkala), Elias Saad (Hannover 96), Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic)