2026 World Cup, Tunisia: Hervé Renard Emerges from the Chaos
Tunisia is starting over with Hervé Renard. Following the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi—who was sacked in the midst of World Cup 2026 qualifying after a crushing 5-11 loss to Sweden and internal tensions that erupted after the match, the Tunisian Football Federation has chosen to entrust the team to a coach who has built his career often in difficult circumstances, becoming a sort of icon of so-called “peripheral” soccer.
Renard, 57, has traveled halfway around the world: he has coached at the club level in Algeria and Vietnam as well, before definitively establishing himself as an international coach. His fame stems primarily from Africa, where he has achieved unprecedented feats: he was, in fact, the first coach in history to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different national teams, triumphing with Zambia in 2012 and with Ivory Coast in 2015.
His career then led him to coach Morocco, the French women’s national team, and, most notably, Saudi Arabia, with whom he achieved one of the most sensational feats in recent World Cup history: a victory over Leo Messi’s Argentina in the opening match of Qatar 2022. Renard had returned to lead the Saudis after Roberto Mancini’s dismissal, before a surprising split just weeks before the World Cup that temporarily left him without a job.
Now comes the call from Tunisia, arriving at a time of full-blown sporting crisis. Following the chaos that ensued after the loss to Sweden—marked by internal disputes, an altercation reportedly involving Lamouchi’s son, and a situation deemed unmanageable by the Federation— the North African national team has decided to rely on an experienced figure, accustomed to working in complex contexts and rebuilding identity and competitiveness.
Renard will lead the team starting with the next two matches against Japan and the Netherlands, which are crucial for trying to get back in the running for qualification: while the top two spots seem out of reach, third place could still open the door to the round of 16, depending on points and goal difference.
