Tunisia announced its final 2026 World Cup squad on May 15, excluding captain Ferjani Sassi and key defender Yassine Meriah from the roster for the tournament in November and December. The decision came from new coach Sabri Lamouchi, who was appointed in January 2026 after Sami Trabelsi's dismissal and has reshaped the team significantly since then [1, 2].
Sassi, who holds a national record with 101 caps, will not participate in Tunisia's seventh World Cup appearance. Meriah missed reaching 100 caps by just five appearances and was also left out. Lamouchi had already begun overhauling the squad in March friendlies against Haiti and Canada, introducing fresh talent and phasing out several long-time members [1, 2].
The new roster features surprise call-ups like 21-year-old Khalil Ayari, signed by Paris Saint-Germain but yet to break into their first team, and 18-year-old Rayan Elloumi, a Canadian-born midfielder who has started twice in MLS for Vancouver Whitecaps. Elloumi played earlier in 2026 for Canada in a friendly against Guatemala, one of the World Cup co-hosts, before switching allegiance to Tunisia [1, 2].
Also included is 32-year-old midfielder Rani Khedira, who switched his international allegiance from Germany to Tunisia in March 2026 and debuted for Tunisia that month [1, 2].
The full squad consists of three goalkeepers, nine defenders, seven midfielders, and seven forwards. Tunisia is drawn into Group F alongside Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands for the tournament starting in late November [1, 2].