2026 World Cup: "Total fiasco," Lamouchi already in danger... Tunisia on the brink of elimination after their defeat against Sweden

Tunisia, thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in their opening World Cup match on Sunday in Monterrey, is facing fierce criticism. While defender Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida has apologized to the Tunisian public, coach Sabri Lamouchi could soon be sacked.

Tunisia's nightmare is over. The Eagles of Carthage are already on the brink of disaster after suffering a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening World Cup match on Sunday in Monterrey, Mexico. Completely outclassed by the Swedes, the Tunisian team was utterly outclassed. They suffered their heaviest defeat in World Cup history and have every reason to be worried before facing Japan on Sunday (6 a.m.) for their second Group F match.

"We apologize to the Tunisian public."

"We will try to make up for it and correct our course in the next match," reacted defender Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida, quoted by the Tunisian media outlet La Presse. "We absolutely need more concentration in the future." But while the Espérance de Tunis player tried to keep his head held high in the mixed zone, it was clearly not the time for boasting. "We apologize to the Tunisian public," he added, aware that he had suffered one of the worst humiliations in the history of Tunisian football.

On Monday, Tunisia was still reeling from this crushing defeat. "Total fiasco," headlined Le Quotidien on its website. Journalist Kamel Zaiem struggled to find a single redeeming player, pointing to "an inexperienced goalkeeper who was unable to hold firm and keep his team in the game, a shaky defense that trembled at every opposing attack, a midfield that was simply trying to defend, and a virtually nonexistent attack since the team's best forwards were on the bench."

What if Lamouchi were fired in the middle of the World Cup?

The main target of criticism is, unsurprisingly, Sabri Lamouchi. After the match, the Tunisian coach pointed to his players' "individual errors" and "tactical fragility." Already heavily criticized after the worrying defeats in friendly matches against Austria (1-0) and especially Belgium (5-1) before the World Cup, the former French international (12 caps) is reportedly already under pressure.

According to Tunisian radio station Mosaïque FM, officials from the Tunisian Football Federation have requested an emergency meeting to discuss the future of Sabri Lamouchi, including the possibility of his departure and the promotion of his assistant, Wahbi Khazri, to take over as interim coach for the remainder of the tournament. To make matters worse, according to a witness interviewed by Mosaïque FM, a fight broke out between a supporter and the son of Sabri Lamouchi, whose role within the delegation remains unclear and is the subject of much discussion in Tunisia.