Tunisia has become the first team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to make a coaching change after the nation’s difficult start to the tournament.
The Tunisian Football Association confirmed that head coach Sabri Lamouchi has left his role following the team’s 5-1 loss to Sweden in its opening Group F match on June 15.
The decision ends Lamouchi’s five-month tenure in charge and creates a unique piece of World Cup history. According to BBC Sport, he is the first manager to leave his position after just one match at a World Cup.
The club has already named veteran coach Herve Renard as his replacement through the remainder of the tournament.
Tunisia Announces Coaching Change After Sweden Defeat at the 2026 World Cup
Tunisia entered its World Cup opener looking to make an early statement in Group F but instead suffered a heavy defeat against Sweden at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, Mexico.
Following the loss, reports suggested Lamouchi had been dismissed immediately. However, BBC Sport reported that the 54-year-old remained with the team and even oversaw training on Monday before the Tunisian Football Association formally announced that his contract had been terminated by mutual agreement.
Lamouchi addressed the result after the match and acknowledged the challenges his team faced.
“Starting the competition with this bad of a loss is indeed difficult,” Lamouchi said.
“We made too many mistakes, and this is not something that we can do. We are shooting ourselves in the foot, we are hurting ourselves.”
The former Nottingham Forest manager was appointed in January after Sami Trabelsi left following Tunisia’s round-of-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations.
During his brief spell in charge, Lamouchi managed five matches and recorded one victory, a 1-0 win over Haiti in his debut.
Herve Renard Takes Over Tunisia for Remaining World Cup 2026 Matches
Tunisia quickly moved to appoint an experienced replacement.
Renard arrives with significant international experience, having previously managed both Morocco and Saudi Arabia on the world stage.
Renard will now have little time to turn things around before Tunisia’s next two Group F matches against Japan and the Netherlands.
With the team already behind after its opening loss, those games will likely determine whether Tunisia can keep its World Cup hopes alive and challenge for a spot in the knockout stage.
The coaching change comes after a difficult run of form leading into the tournament.
Earlier this month, Tunisia lost 1-0 to Austria in a World Cup warm-up match before suffering a 5-0 defeat against Belgium. The 5-1 loss to Sweden extended that challenging stretch and ultimately led to the federation’s decision.
Tunisia Makes World Cup History With Unprecedented Manager Exit
While managerial changes during World Cups are rare, several notable examples have occurred in previous tournaments.
Tunisia itself made a coaching change during the 1998 World Cup when Henryk Kasperczak departed after the team’s poor start to the competition.
That same year, South Korea dismissed Cha Bum-kun after losses in its first two matches.
In 2018, Spain famously parted ways with Julen Lopetegui just two days before the tournament began after he agreed to become manager of Real Madrid.
However, none of those situations occurred after only one completed World Cup match.
That distinction now belongs to Lamouchi, whose departure becomes a historic first in tournament history.
Tunisia Faces Long Odds to Reach the Knockout Stage
Tunisia entered the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament’s biggest underdogs.
Placed in a difficult Group F alongside Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands, Tunisia faced long odds to advance before the tournament began.
The team was widely listed at 500/1 to win the World Cup and around 17/1 to finish atop the group, via ESPN.
World Cup 2026 Records First-Ever Manager Firing After Just One Match