Tunisia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to a disastrous end on Saturday as the Carthage Eagles became the first African nation to be eliminated from the tournament following a crushing 4-0 defeat to Japan.
The latest setback capped a turbulent and disappointing campaign for the North Africans, who had already suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening Group F fixture. In the aftermath of that loss, Tunisian football authorities responded by sacking the team’s manager and appointing a new coach in a desperate bid to revive their World Cup fortunes.
However, the managerial shake-up failed to produce the desired response, with Tunisia’s second outing proving even more disastrous.
Japan delivered a footballing masterclass at Estadio Monterrey, overwhelming Tunisia with pace, precision and relentless attacking football in front of 51,243 spectators.
Daichi Kamada set the tone early, opening the scoring after just four minutes before Ayase Ueda doubled Japan’s advantage in the 31st minute to leave Tunisia reeling at halftime.
The Blue Samurai maintained their dominance after the break, with Junya Ito adding a third goal in the 69th minute before Ueda completed his brace with a clinical finish seven minutes from time.
Japan’s superiority was reflected in the statistics, as they controlled 66 per cent possession and completed 266 passes compared to Tunisia’s 118. More damning for the Carthage Eagles was their inability to register a single shot on target throughout the encounter.
The emphatic victory leaves Japan level on four points with the Netherlands at the top of Group F and firmly in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.
For Tunisia, the defeat marks a painful and premature exit from the global showpiece. The Carthage Eagles become the third team overall to be eliminated from the tournament after Haiti and Türkiye, and the first African side to see their World Cup dream extinguished.
What began with hopes of making a significant impact on football’s biggest stage has ended in embarrassment, with two heavy defeats, a managerial casualty, and an early flight home.
