Tunisia have moved swiftly to appoint Hervé Renard as their new head coach following a devastating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening fixture at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Eagles of Carthage were overwhelmed from the first whistle in Group F, conceding goals from Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Yasin Ayari, and Mattias Svanberg. Tunisia's own attacking output was negligible — the side generated just 0.28xG across the full 90 minutes — making the scoreline a fair reflection of the gulf in class on the night.

Renard's extraordinary international record

The Tunisian Football Federation has turned to one of the most decorated coaches in international football. Renard, 57, arrives with a remarkable pedigree at this level, having guided Saudi Arabia to a famous 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2022 — still regarded as one of the competition's greatest upsets.

His trophy cabinet at international level is equally impressive. Renard led Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2015 and, three years earlier, masterminded Zambia's triumph at the same tournament in 2012 — the Copper Bullets' first-ever continental title. Remarkably, Zambia claimed that historic trophy by defeating Ivory Coast on penalties, the very nation Renard would later take to glory.

The Frenchman has agreed a short-term contract with the Tunisian FA, running through to the conclusion of the North American tournament.

A worrying pattern of results

Tuesday's collapse against Sweden was no isolated incident. Tunisia's form heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026 had already raised serious concerns. In June, the team suffered a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Belgium, followed by a 1-0 loss to Austria — a side who had been reduced to ten men. Prior to those results, Tunisia drew 0-0 with Canada and recorded a 1-0 win over Haiti, one of the weakest sides in the tournament.

It is against this backdrop that Renard must now perform something of a miracle. Tunisia's next assignment is a Group F encounter with Japan, a side that have built a reputation for causing upsets of their own on the world stage. A positive result is essential if Tunisia are to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds alive.