Tunisia the only African team eliminated from the 2026 World Cup

Tunisia are out of the 2026 World Cup, and they are the only African team heading home before the Round of 16. Nine of the continent's ten representatives made it through the group stage, the Carthage Eagles are the solitary exception (1). The numbers are brutal: zero points, one goal scored, nine conceded across defeats to Japan (5–1 and 4–0). Hervé Renard's side arrived amid instability following a late managerial change, and the results confirmed the worst fears of a fanbase that had already seen defender Ali Abdi tear into the federation's lack of planning. Africa's strongest football nations are still standing. Tunisia alone are not.