Tunisia fires World Cup coach Sabri Lamouchi after one game, brings in Hervé Renard

Getting fired after one day on the job is rough. Getting fired after one game at the World Cup, on the biggest stage in global sports, is something else entirely.

Sabri Lamouchi became the first coach to be sacked during a World Cup tournament after just a single match. The Tunisian Football Federation dismissed him on June 15 following a 5-1 demolition by Sweden in their opening group-stage game in Monterrey. Hours later, the federation announced French coach Hervé Renard as his replacement.

A five-month experiment gone wrong

Lamouchi had only been in the job since January 2026. His contract was supposed to run through 2028. Five months and five matches later, he’s out, carrying a record of one win, one draw, and three losses.

The writing was arguably on the wall before the tournament even kicked off. Tunisia suffered a 5-0 loss to Belgium in a pre-tournament friendly, a result that would have set off alarm bells in most federations. The FTF apparently decided to give Lamouchi the benefit of the doubt heading into the World Cup proper.

The FTF announced the dismissal through social media and national television.

Why Renard makes sense

Renard’s most famous moment came at the 2022 World Cup, where he led Saudi Arabia to a stunning upset victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the group stage.

Renard has been given a deal that runs through the end of the 2026 World Cup, with the possibility of longer-term negotiations afterward.

Tunisia still has two group-stage matches remaining, against Japan and the Netherlands. Both opponents are formidable. Japan have established themselves as consistent contenders in recent World Cup cycles. The Netherlands bring decades of pedigree and a squad loaded with top-tier European league talent.

A five-goal deficit on goal difference after one match means Tunisia likely needs wins in both remaining games to have any realistic shot at advancing.

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