Tunisia are bringing in Herve Renard to oversee the rest of their FIFA World Cup campaign after Sabri Lamouchi's exit, sources told ESPN, making the move one of the tournament's earliest coaching changes.
ESPN reported that Tunisia officially announced Lamouchi's departure late Monday. The decision followed Tunisia's 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opening World Cup game, a result verified by ESPN's scoreboard API for event 760424 at Estadio BBVA.
Renard Expected In Monterrey On Tuesday
Sources told ESPN that Renard, 57, is expected to arrive in Mexico on Tuesday afternoon and take charge of his first training session Tuesday evening in Monterrey, where Tunisia are based.
The appointment gives Tunisia a coach with World Cup experience, but very little time. Lamouchi coached the team through the buildup to the tournament and the Sweden game before being removed after one match.
ESPN reported that unrest in the locker room and tension between Lamouchi, the federation and some players were part of the backdrop to the decision. Tunisia's formal announcement covered Lamouchi's exit; ESPN's reporting identified Renard as the incoming coach through sources.
A Third World Cup Job For Renard
Renard has already managed two countries at the World Cup. ESPN noted that he led Morocco in 2018, when Morocco drew once and lost twice in the group stage.
He then coached Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup. That team beat Argentina and Lionel Messi in its opening group game, one of the tournament's signature upsets, before losing its next two matches and missing the knockout stage.
According to ESPN, this would be Renard's third World Cup with a third different country. Tunisia are turning to that tournament experience after a start that left little margin for patience.
Tunisia Change Course After Sweden Loss
ESPN's scoreboard listed Sweden's 5-1 win over Tunisia as full time at Estadio BBVA, with the match dated 2026-06-15T02:00Z. The defeat was Tunisia's first game of the tournament.
ESPN reported that it is the first time in World Cup history a team has dismissed its head coach after just one game. That is the clearest sign of how severe Tunisia considered the situation after the opener.
The practical calendar is tight: arrival Tuesday afternoon, training Tuesday evening, then a shortened window to reset the team before its second group match.