Report: Tunisia Manager Fired After Losing World Cup Opener

The 2026 World Cup only started four days ago, and yet, a manager has reportedly been fired already.

Sweden flexed its muscles during its World Cup opener, defeating Tunisia by a final score of 5-1. They were led by 22-year-old midfielder Yasin Ayari, who scored two goals on Sunday night. Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres also came up big for their country.

"Solid team performance that then allowed Alex and Viktor to show their quality, which obviously they did, but you know there was a lot of positives for us in terms of stability defensively," Sweden manager Graham Potter. "It's obviously a good night to start the tournament with. A five-one win is fantastic for us."

Just hours after Tunisia suffered this embarrassing loss, The Guardian and New York Times investigative reporter Romain Molina announced that manager Sabri Lamouchi has been dismissed.

Molina also shared this concerning post on social media: "With @Romain_Molina , we had discussed Lamouchi's behavior in the locker room and his weak ability to rally the team. We were accused of lying to destabilize the group. Result: fired after the first group stage match. Bravo coach, it must be the journalists' fault."

What's next for Tunisia?

It has not yet been confirmed that Lamouchi is out for Tunisia. If so, the country will need to rally around an interim manager.

Life won't get any easier for Tunisia's national team. There are still showdowns with Japan and Netherlands on the schedule.

Barring a miraculous turnaround, Tunisia is most likely playing for last place in Group F.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:11 AM.