Tunisia have become the second African nation and 18th country overall to secure their place at the FIFA World Cup 2026, clinching qualification in dramatic fashion with a 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea on 8 September 2025.
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane emerged as the hero for the Carthage Eagles, scoring a crucial stoppage-time winner that sent the North African nation into raptures and confirmed their participation in the first-ever 48-team World Cup finals.
Under the guidance of coach Sami Trabelsi, Tunisia dominated Group H throughout the qualifying campaign, recording an impressive seven victories and one draw from their eight matches. Their commanding performances against São Tomé and Príncipe, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia and Liberia saw them finish comfortably clear at the top of the group with 22 points.
The qualification represents Tunisia’s seventh appearance at a World Cup finals and their third consecutive participation, following their memorable campaigns in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. At the most recent tournament in Qatar, the Carthage Eagles captured global attention by securing a famous victory over reigning champions France on the final day of Group D action, though it was not enough to secure progression beyond the group stage.
Tunisia’s World Cup history stretches back to Argentina 1978, where they etched their names into football folklore by becoming the first African nation to win a match at the World Cup finals. That historic moment came against Mexico in their opening Group 2 fixture, where they overturned a penalty deficit to triumph 3-1 thanks to goals from Ali Kaabi, Nejib Ghommidh and Mokhtar Dhouieb.
Despite that groundbreaking achievement, Abdelmajid Chetali’s pioneering team was unable to progress beyond the group stage, a fate that has befallen all six previous Tunisian World Cup squads. The teams that participated in France 1998, Japan/Korea 2002, Germany 2006, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 all exited at the first hurdle, presenting the Class of 2026 with a golden opportunity to make fresh history.
The final Group H table showcased Tunisia’s dominance throughout the qualifying campaign. Namibia finished as runners-up with 15 points from eight matches, while Liberia claimed third place with 11 points. Malawi and Equatorial Guinea both collected 10 points to tie for fourth position, with São Tomé and Príncipe completing the group without registering a single point.
With their place at the expanded World Cup now secured, Tunisia will be determined to break new ground and progress beyond the group stage for the first time in their history when the tournament kicks off in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Carthage Eagles’ qualification adds to the growing anticipation surrounding African football’s representation at the 2026 World Cup, as the continent prepares to showcase its talent on the sport’s biggest stage once again.
