Tunisia sacks coach Lamouchi after World Cup opening loss

Tunisia’s football federation didn’t even wait for the dust to settle. One day after a 5-1 demolition by Sweden in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener in Mexico, head coach Sabri Lamouchi was shown the door, making him the first manager in tournament history to be sacked after just one game at the finals.

A historic firing after a historic collapse

The Tunisian Football Federation announced Lamouchi’s dismissal on June 15, 2026, roughly 24 hours after Sweden put five goals past the Eagles of Carthage.

Lamouchi, 54, had been appointed in January 2026, giving him barely five months to prepare the squad for football’s biggest stage. In that window, he managed just one win across five matches.

The departure was described as a mutual agreement between Lamouchi and the federation. Mondher Kebaier has been mentioned as a potential interim replacement. He’s a familiar face in Tunisian football circles, and if appointed, he’d inherit one of the more unenviable situations in World Cup history: two group matches remaining, zero points on the board, and a goal difference that already looks like it needs a tourniquet.

What went wrong against Sweden

For Lamouchi, this wasn’t his first experience with high-pressure management. The former French international had coached at club level across Europe and had previously managed Ivory Coast’s national team. One win in five matches since January suggested structural problems, not just a bad day at the office.

Tunisia’s remaining path

Tunisia still has two games left in the group stage, facing Japan and the Netherlands. Tunisia’s chances of advancing from this group were already slim before the Sweden result. Now, with a minus-four goal difference and a coaching change mid-tournament, the path to the knockout rounds requires something close to a miracle.

What this means for World Cup history

Nations have fired coaches during World Cups before, but never after just one match. Lamouchi was given the job in January 2026, just months before the World Cup. Whether the federation bears responsibility for the compressed timeline is a conversation Tunisia will have long after this tournament ends.

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