Tunisia falls to Japan 4-0 and exits the World Cup early

The Tunisian national team suffered a harsh defeat against Japan with a score of 4-0, within the competitions of Group Six in the 2026 World Cup, confirming their early exit from the tournament after two heavy losses in the first two rounds.

The loss against Japan came after the first defeat against Sweden with a score of 5-1, which made the "Carthage Eagles" record one of their worst starts in the history of their World Cup participations, after their net conceded nine goals in just two matches.

The Tunisian performance sparked a wave of widespread criticism in the local media, which described what happened as a technical and moral collapse, considering that the team appeared without a clear spirit and without the ability to keep up with their group rivals.

The criticisms focused on the fragility of the defense, the absence of offensive effectiveness, and the decline of tactical discipline, at a time when the Japanese team appeared more organized, faster, and capable of exploiting mistakes.

Also, Tunisian newspapers and websites considered that the early exit should not pass without a comprehensive review, calling for radical decisions to reform Tunisian football after the disappointing participation in the tournament.

For his part, coach Hervé Renard admitted that the loss against Japan was painful, pointing out that the result reflected the difference between the two teams during the match.

Despite the confirmed elimination, Renard stressed the necessity to maintain focus and to play the last match against the Netherlands seriously and responsibly, in order to end the participation in a more respectful manner.

Tunisia enters the last round without points, while the match against the Netherlands will be the last opportunity to present a moral reaction after a harsh start that placed the team under great crowd and media pressure.