Renard to Take Over as Tunisia Head Coach Ahead of 2026 World Cup

Tunisia has appointed veteran coach Herve Renard to take charge of the national team for the remainder of the World Cup, according to sources quoted by ESPN.

The decision follows the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi, who had led the team in the build‑up to the tournament and in their opening match against Sweden. Lamouchi was sacked after a period of unrest in the locker room.

Renard, 57, is scheduled to arrive in Mexico, where the Tunisian squad is based, on Tuesday afternoon. He will conduct his first training session on Tuesday evening in Monterrey.

The Tunisian Football Federation confirmed Lamouchi’s departure late on Monday.

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This appointment marks Renard’s third World Cup with a third distinct country. He previously coached Morocco in 2018, where the team earned one draw and two losses before exiting in the group stage. In 2022 he managed Saudi Arabia, whose side famously defeated Argentina and Lionel Messi in their opening group game but lost the following two matches and did not advance to the knockout rounds.

It is the first instance in World Cup history of a team firing its head coach after a single match in the tournament.

Lamouchi, 54, was held responsible for the 5‑1 loss to Sweden on Sunday, as well as for ongoing tensions between him, the federation, and several players since his arrival.

Wahbi Karzi, the former Ligue 1 and Tunisia international midfielder who served as Lamouchi’s assistant, will remain with the squad under Renard’s leadership.

James Agberebi

James is a sport content creator and also does analysis on sports. Also, James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men and women national teams. Facebook : James Agberebi