Tunisia at the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.

Tunisia national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.

Tunisia have appeared in the finals of the FIFA World Cup on five occasions, the first being at the 1978 FIFA World Cup where they finished in ninth position. Between 1998 and 2006 they had a streak of three World Cup qualifications. They have made their fifth appearance at the finals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[1] However, Tunisia has never been able to progress from the group stage in all occasions.

Summary
FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 Part of  France Part of  France
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958 Did not enter Did not enter
1962 Did not qualify 3 1 1 1 4 4
1966 Withdrew Withdrew
1970 Did not qualify 5 1 4 0 4 3
1974 4 1 1 2 5 5
1978 Round 1 9th 3 1 1 1 3 2 10 4 4 2 15 9
1982 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 2
1986 8 4 0 4 11 9
1990 10 4 1 5 10 11
1994 6 3 3 0 14 2
1998 Group stage 26th 3 0 1 2 1 4 8 7 1 0 15 2
2002 29th 3 0 1 2 1 5 10 8 2 0 28 5
2006 24th 3 0 1 2 3 6 10 6 3 1 25 9
2010 Did not qualify 12 7 3 2 18 7
2014 8 4 3 1 14 10
2018 Group stage 24th 3 1 0 2 5 8 8 6 2 0 15 6
2022 To be determined To be determined
2026
Total Group stage 5/23 15 2 4 9 13 25 104 57 28 19 180 84

By match
Khazri playing with Tunisia against Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
By match
World Cup Round Opponent Score Result Scorers Man of the match
1978 Group stage  Mexico 3–1 W Kaabi, Ghommidh, Dhouieb
 Poland 1–0 L
 West Germany 0–0 D
1998 Group stage  England 2–0 L
 Colombia 1–0 L
 Romania 1–1 D Souayah
2002 Group stage  Russia 2–0 L
 Belgium 1–1 D Bouzaiene Raouf Bouzaiene
 Japan 0–2 L
2006 Group stage  Saudi Arabia 2–2 D Jaziri, Jaïdi Ziad Jaziri
 Spain 3–1 L Mnari
 Ukraine 1–0 L
2018 Group stage  England 1–2 L Sassi
 Belgium 5–2 L Bronn, Khazri
 Panama 1–2 W F. Ben Youssef, Khazri Fakhreddine Ben Youssef

FIFA World Cup record

As of 2018, Tunisia never survived the group stage of a World Cup. They have won two matches: against Mexico in 1978, and Panama in 2018.

1978 FIFA World Cup
Tunisia at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.

Tunisia's first World Cup was the 1978 competition held in Argentina. They became the first African team to win a World Cup game, defeating Mexico 3–1 in Rosario.[2] A 1–0 defeat to 1974 bronze-medalists Poland followed. Although The Eagles Of Carthage then held reigning champions West Germany to a 0–0 draw, they failed to advance. Tunisia failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup again until twenty years later.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Poland 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 5 Advance to second round
2  West Germany 3 1 2 0 6 0 +6 4
3  Tunisia 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 3
4  Mexico 3 0 0 3 2 12 −10 0
Source: FIFA
Tunisia 3–1 Mexico
Kaabi  55'
Ghommidh  79'
Dhouieb  87'		 Report Vázquez Ayala  45' (pen.)
Attendance: 17,396
Poland 1–0 Tunisia
Lato  43' Report
Attendance: 9,624
Referee: Ángel Franco Martínez (Spain)
West Germany 0–0 Tunisia
Report
Attendance: 30,667
Referee: César Guerrero Orosco (Peru)

1998 FIFA World Cup

Adel Sellimi's team were beaten 2–0 by England,[3][4] and 1–0 by Colombia[5] to eliminate them at the group stage. Their only point was in a 1–1 draw with Romania.[6]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Romania 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  England 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6
3  Colombia 3 1 0 2 1 3 −2 3
4  Tunisia 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: FIFA

England vs Tunisia
England 2–0 Tunisia
Shearer  43'
Scholes  89'		 Report
Attendance: 54,587

Assistant referees:
Hyun Jeom-young (South Korea)
Dramane Dante (Mali)
Fourth official:
Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark)

Colombia vs Tunisia
Colombia 1–0 Tunisia
Preciado  83' Report
Attendance: 29,800

Assistant referees:
Erich Schneider (Germany)
Evzen Amler (Czech Republic)
Fourth official:
László Vágner (Hungary)

Romania vs Tunisia
Romania 1–1 Tunisia
Moldovan  72' Report Souayah  10' (pen.)
Attendance: 77,000

Assistant referees:
Jacek Pocięgiel (Poland)
Yuri Dupanov (Belarus)
Fourth official:
Ramesh Ramdhan (Trinidad and Tobago)

2002 FIFA World Cup

Tunisia reached their second successive FIFA World Cup (and third overall), which was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. They started with a 2–0 loss against Russia, but a Raouf Bouzaiene free-kick gave them a 1–1 draw against Belgium in their second match. Their final group game resulted in a 2–0 defeat to co-hosts Japan, meaning they were knocked out in the group stages yet again.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Japan (H) 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Belgium 3 1 2 0 6 5 +1 5
3  Russia 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
4  Tunisia 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria
(H) Host.

All times local (UTC+9)

Russia 2–0 Tunisia
Titov  59'
Karpin  64' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 30,957

Man of the Match:
Yuri Nikiforov (Russia)

Assistant referees:
Michael Ragoonath (Trinidad and Tobago)
Paul Smith (New Zealand)
Fourth official:
Antonio López Nieto (Spain)

Tunisia 1–1 Belgium
Bouzaiene  17' Report Wilmots  13'
Attendance: 52,000

Man of the Match:
Raouf Bouzaiene (Tunisia)

Assistant referees:
Paul Smith (New Zealand)
Komaleeswaran Sankar (India)
Fourth official:
Gilles Veissière (France)

Tunisia 0–2 Japan
Report Morishima  48'
Nakata  75'
Attendance: 45,213

Man of the Match:
Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)

Assistant referees:
Frédéric Arnault (France)
Haidar Koleit (Lebanon)
Fourth official:
René Ortubé (Bolivia)

2006 FIFA World Cup
Tunisia vs Ukraine match during 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Tunisia drew their opening game against Saudi Arabia 2–2, but lost their second match to Spain 3–1 and lost their last group match to Ukraine 1–0, ending their 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Spain 3 3 0 0 8 1 +7 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Ukraine 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 6
3  Tunisia 3 0 1 2 3 6 −3 1
4  Saudi Arabia 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria

All times local (CEST/UTC+2)

Tunisia vs Saudi Arabia
Tunisia 2–2 Saudi Arabia
Jaziri  23'
Jaïdi  90+2'		 Report Al-Qahtani  57'
Al-Jaber  84'
Attendance: 66,000

Man of the Match:
Ziad Jaziri (Tunisia)

Assistant referees:
Nathan Gibson (Australia)
Ben Wilson (Australia)
Fourth official:
Carlos Chandía (Chile)
Fifth official:
Christian Julio (Chile)

Spain vs Tunisia
Spain 3–1 Tunisia
Raúl  71'
Torres  76', 90+1' (pen.)		 Report Mnari  8'
Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart
Attendance: 52,000
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)

Man of the Match:
Xabi Alonso (Spain)

Assistant referees:
Aristeu Tavares (Brazil)
Ednílson Corona (Brazil)
Fourth official:
Carlos Chandía (Chile)
Fifth official:
Christian Julio (Chile)

Ukraine vs Tunisia
Ukraine 1–0 Tunisia
Shevchenko  70' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 72,000

Man of the Match:
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Ukraine)

Assistant referees:
Amelio Andino (Paraguay)
Manuel Bernal (Paraguay)
Fourth official:
Marco Rodríguez (Mexico)
Fifth official:
Hamdi Al Kadri (Syria)

Tunisia vs England
Tunisia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The two teams had met in two matches, including one game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup group stage, an England 2–0 victory.[7]

England scored in the 11th minute when Mouez Hassen stopped a John Stones' header from a corner from the left, but could not save a Harry Kane follow-up from close range. Hassen was substituted four minutes later for Farouk Ben Mustapha due to an injury earlier in the game, after he had a collision with Jesse Lingard. Lingard then mishit a volley from Ashley Young's cross to the far post.[8] After 10 minutes, Ferjani Sassi equalised from the penalty spot after Kyle Walker was penalised for an elbow on Fakhreddine Ben Youssef.[9] Kane had an appeal for a penalty waved away within five minutes of the restart as he was seemingly impeded by a pair of Tunisia players at a corner.[10] In the additional time, Harry Maguire flicked a Kieran Trippier corner from the right into the path of Kane, who headed it inside the goal after being left free at the back post.[8][11]

England scored more than once for the first time in 10 World Cup matches, since a 2–2 draw against Sweden in 2006. Kane became the first England player to score a brace in a World Cup match since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in 1990.[9]

Tunisia 1–2 England
 Report
Attendance: 41,064[12]

Man of the Match:
Harry Kane (England)[14]

Assistant referees:[13]
Alexander Guzmán (Colombia)
Cristian de la Cruz (Colombia)
Fourth official:
Ricardo Montero (Costa Rica)
Reserve assistant referee:
Hiroshi Yamauchi (Japan)
Video assistant referee:
Sandro Ricci (Brazil)
Assistant video assistant referees:
Gery Vargas (Bolivia)
Emerson de Carvalho (Brazil)
Tiago Martins (Portugal)

Belgium vs Tunisia
Belgium vs Tunisia

The two teams had faced each other in three matches, including one game at the 2002 FIFA World Cup group stage, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[7]

Just 6 minutes into the game, Syam Ben Youssef's late challenge on Eden Hazard was deemed, with the use of VAR, to have been just inside the area and he stepped up to score the penalty into the bottom-left corner. Ten minutes later, Dries Mertens won possession just inside the Tunisia half before driving forward and passing the ball to Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku then shot a low strike across Farouk Ben Mustapha into the bottom-right corner. Wahbi Khazri's free-kick from the left was met by Dylan Bronn, who flashed a header past Thibaut Courtois. Thomas Meunier found Lukaku inside the area, which he clipped over the onrushing Mustapha. Toby Alderweireld's long pass from defence was taken on the chest by Hazard, who then rounded Mustapha to stroke into an empty net. Michy Batshuayi met Youri Tielemans' cross at the back post with a controlled half-volley to score Belgium's 5th. Khazri scored deep into stoppage time after a swivel in the box.[15][16]

Lukaku became the first player since Diego Maradona to score back-to-back braces in consecutive world cup games.[17] Hazard's penalty was Belgium's second quickest goal in a World Cup match (5:59), behind only Léopold Anoul's goal against England in 1954, in the fifth minute.[18] For Tunisia, it has registered as their worst defeat ever in their World Cup history.

Belgium 5–2 Tunisia
 Report
Attendance: 44,190[19]

Man of the Match:
Eden Hazard (Belgium)[21]

Assistant referees:[20]
Corey Rockwell (United States)
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
Fourth official:
Andrés Cunha (Uruguay)
Reserve assistant referee:
Nicolás Tarán (Uruguay)
Video assistant referee:
Mark Geiger (United States)
Assistant video assistant referees:
Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Joe Fletcher (Canada)
Felix Zwayer (Germany)

Panama vs Tunisia
Panama vs Tunisia

The two teams had never met before.[22] Both teams had already been eliminated from the tournament before the match.

Panama took the lead in the 33rd minute, after a José Rodríguez shot from outside the penalty area took a deflection off Yassine Meriah and nestle in the back of the net. In the 51st minute, Naïm Sliti found Wahbi Khazri down the right and the latter's low cross was converted by the Fakhreddine Ben Youssef just six yards out. At the 66 minute mark, Khazri finished off a cross from the left by Oussama Haddadi from close range at the back post.[23][24]

Tunisia won a World Cup match after 40 years, since their 3–1 victory over Mexico in 1978. Panama became the first nation since Serbia & Montenegro and Togo in 2006 to lose each of their first three World Cup games. Panama's goal means this is the first World Cup tournament in which every side has scored at least two goals in the competition. Meriah's own goal was the 50th in World Cup history.[25]

Panama 1–2 Tunisia
 Report
Attendance: 37,168[26]

Man of the Match:
Fakhreddine Ben Youssef (Tunisia)[28]

Assistant referees:[27]
Yaser Tulefat (Bahrain)
Taleb Al Maari (Qatar)
Fourth official:
Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)
Reserve assistant referee:
Hiroshi Yamauchi (Japan)
Video assistant referee:
Tiago Martins (Portugal)
Assistant video assistant referees:
Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Record players
No. Name Matches World Cups
1 Riadh Bouazizi81998, 2002 and 2006
Kaies Ghodhbane81998, 2002 and 2006
3Hatem Trabelsi71998, 2002 and 2006
4 Zoubeir Baya61998 and 2002
Ali Boumnijel62002 and 2006
Radhi Jaïdi62002 and 2006
Ziad Jaziri62002 and 2006
8Adel Sellimi51998 and 2002
9Khaled Badra41998 and 2002
1025 players3

References
  1. "Victory sends Cameroon to the finals". FIFA.com. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  2. "Tunisia 3 – 1 Mexico". FIFA.com. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  3. "England beat Tunisia". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 15 June 1998. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  4. Moore, Glenn (16 June 1998). "England arrive at party in style". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  5. "World Cup – Colombia 1 Tunisia 0". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. 23 June 1998. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  6. "World Cup – Romania 1 Tunisia 1". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. 27 June 1998. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  7. "2018 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2018.
  8. McGee, Nicholas (18 June 2018). "Captain Kane saves Three Lions". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018.
  9. McNulty, Phil (18 June 2018). "Tunisia 1 England 2". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018.
  10. "Kane double ensures England defeat Tunisia in World Cup opener". Guardian. 19 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  11. "England kick off campaign with hard-fought victory". FIFA.com. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018.
  12. "Match report – Group G – Tunisia v England" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 18 June 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  13. "Tactical Line-up – Group G – Tunisia v England" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 18 June 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  14. "Tunisia v England – Man of the Match". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  15. Atkinson, Guy (23 June 2018). "Lukaku and Hazard shine as Red Devils run riot". Goal.com.
  16. "Belgium dazzle in seven-goal thriller". FIFA.com. 23 June 2018.
  17. "Belgium's Romelu Lukaku first to score back-to-back World Cup braces since Maradona". ESPN FC. 23 June 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  18. Bevan, Chris (23 June 2018). "Belgium 5 Tunisia 2". BBC Sport.
  19. "Match report – Group G – Belgium v Tunisia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  20. "Tactical Line-up – Group G – Belgium v Tunisia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  21. "Belgium v Tunisia – Man of the Match". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2018. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  22. "2018 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2018.
  23. Chowdhury, Saj (28 June 2018). "Wahbi Khazri scores as Tunisia end with 2-1 win over Panama". BBC Sport.
  24. "Second-half surge sees Tunisia bow out in style". FIFA.com. 28 June 2018.
  25. Atkinson, Guy (28 June 2018). "Khazri seals first World Cup win in 40 years". Goal.com.
  26. "Match report – Group G – Panama v Tunisia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  27. "Tactical Line-up – Group G – Panama v Tunisia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  28. "Panama v Tunisia – Man of the Match". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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