Tunisia are set to appoint Hervé Renard as their new head coach after dismissing Sabri Lamouchi mid-tournament at the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to sources cited by ESPN.

Renard, 57, is expected to arrive in Mexico — where Tunisia are based — on Tuesday afternoon, with his first training session scheduled for Tuesday evening in Monterrey.

A historic and painful sacking

Tunisia's Football Federation officially confirmed Lamouchi's departure late on Monday. The dismissal came in the wake of a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden on Sunday — the Eagles of Carthage's opening group-stage fixture — and mounting tensions between Lamouchi, the federation, and several players that had been building since his appointment.

Lamouchi, 54, paid the price for both the heavy loss and a fractured dressing room. It is the first time in World Cup history that a team has sacked its head coach after just one match at the tournament.

Renard's World Cup record

This will be Renard's third FIFA World Cup with three different nations — a distinction no other coach currently shares. At the 2018 World Cup, he guided Morocco but exited in the group stage with one draw and two defeats. Four years later, he led Saudi Arabia to one of the tournament's most memorable upsets, defeating Argentina and Lionel Messi in their opening game before losing the next two and falling short of the knockout rounds.

Continuity in the backroom

Wahbi Karzi, the former Ligue 1 midfielder and Tunisia international who served as Lamouchi's assistant, will remain on the coaching staff under Renard. His retention offers a degree of continuity for a squad that must now quickly refocus ahead of their remaining group matches.