Renard steps down as Tunisia crash out of 2026 FIFA World Cup without win

TUNISIA: Herve Renard has stepped down as Tunisia’s head coach following a disastrous World Cup campaign that ended with the North African side crashing out at the group stage without a single win.

Announcing his departure on Instagram on Saturday, the 57-year-old French coach said, “My adventure ends here,” while thanking the Tunisian Football Federation for the opportunity to lead the team on football’s biggest stage. He described coaching Tunisia at the World Cup as “an honour,” adding that the experience would remain “etched in memory.”

Renard’s exit comes after a turbulent tournament in which Tunisia’s hopes collapsed despite entering the competition with strong expectations. The team had qualified impressively without conceding a goal, raising hopes of a competitive World Cup showing.

However, the campaign quickly turned into a nightmare. Tunisia conceded a staggering 12 goals across the group stage–setting an unwanted World Cup record in the expanded 48-team format. Their defensive collapse began with a heavy 5-1 defeat against Sweden, a result that led to the dismissal of coach Sabri Lamouchi after just one match.

Renard was brought in mid-tournament in a desperate attempt to salvage the campaign, but results did not improve. Tunisia suffered a 4-0 loss to Japan, a match in which Renard admitted he felt “ashamed,” followed by a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands that confirmed their elimination without a win.

The performance marked one of Tunisia’s most disappointing World Cup appearances, raising serious questions about the future direction of the national team after a campaign that promised much but delivered a historic collapse.