Tunisia at the FIFA Arab Cup
Tunisia has participated three times in the FIFA Arab Cup, the biggest men's football event in the Arab world. Tunisia was one of five teams participating in the first edition of the Arab Nations Cup, held in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1963. At the time, the tournament was official. Under the leadership of French coach André Gérard, Tunisia won the title, finishing first in the group after winning all four of its matches and collecting eight points against Syria 1–0, Jordan 4–0, Kuwait 5–1, and Lebanon 1–0. Mongi Haddad was the tournament's top scorer with four goals. Tunisia missed the next three editions and did not return until 1988. Under the leadership of Mokhtar Tlili, the team was forced to play two qualifying matches, drawing 0–0 against Algeria and winning 2–1 against Mauritania. During the finals, the team's performances did not live up to expectations, and they were eliminated in the first round after three draws against Iraq 1–1, Saudi Arabia 1–1, and Lebanon 1–1, as well as a 0–1 defeat against Egypt.
On 25 July 2020, FIFA invited Tunisia to participate in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, the first edition under the auspices of FIFA with the participation of sixteen teams in the final tournament. Tunisia advanced directly to the finals without qualifying, thanks to its first place in the Arab world in the FIFA world rankings. The team finished first in its group after two wins against Mauritania 5–1 and the United Arab Emirates 1–0, as well as a surprise defeat against Syria 0–2. In the quarter-finals, the team defeated Oman 2–1 and, in the semifinals, Egypt 1–0 thanks to a goal in the 90+5 minute. However, Tunisia lost the final to Algeria 0–2 after extra time. Seifeddine Jaziri was the tournament's top scorer with four.
On 26 April 2025, FIFA invited Tunisia to participate in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar. Tunisia advanced directly to the finals without qualifying, thanks to its fourth place in the Arab world in the FIFA world rankings. Their performance fell short of expectations, as the team was eliminated in the group stage after a 1–0 defeat against Syria, a 2–2 draw against Palestine, and a 3–0 victory against Qatar.
Overall record
| FIFA Arab Cup record | FIFA Arab Cup qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1963 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | Squad | Qualified automatically | [1] | ||||||
| 1964 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 1966 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1985 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Squad | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | [2] | |
| 1992 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 1998 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | Squad | Qualified automatically | [3] | ||||||
| 2025 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Squad | Qualified automatically | [4] | ||||||
| Total | Champions | 4/11 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 14 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | |
Matches
Win Draw Loss
| Part | Year | No. | Stage | Date | Opponent | Result | Tunisia scorers | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1963 | 1 | Final tournament | 2 April 1963 | Syria | 1–0 | Ben Amor 20' | [5] |
| 2 | Final tournament | 4 April 1963 | Jordan | 4–0 | Haddad 1', 6' Jedidi 26' Henia 34' | [6] | ||
| 3 | Final tournament | 6 April 1963 | Kuwait | 5–1 | Habacha 9' Jedidi 21', 54' Henia 73' Haddad 78' | [7] | ||
| 4 | Final tournament | 7 April 1963 | Lebanon | 1–0 | Haddad 10' | [8] | ||
| 2 | 1988 | 5 | Group stage | 9 July 1988 | Iraq | 1–1 | Mahjoubi 62' | [9] |
| 6 | Group stage | 11 July 1988 | Saudi Arabia Ol. | 1–1 | Maaloul 90' (pen.) | [10] | ||
| 7 | Group stage | 13 July 1988 | Egypt | 0–1 | — | [11] | ||
| 8 | Group stage | 17 July 1988 | Lebanon | 1–1 | Mehedhebi 46' | [12] | ||
| 3 | 2021 | 9 | Group stage | 30 November 2021 | Mauritania | 5–1 | Jaziri 39', 45+2' Ben Larbi 42', 51' Msakni 90+1' | [13] |
| 10 | Group stage | 3 December 2021 | Syria | 0–2 | — | [14] | ||
| 11 | Group stage | 6 December 2021 | United Arab Emirates | 1–0 | Jaziri 10' | [15] | ||
| 12 | Quarter-finals | 10 December 2021 | Oman | 2–1 | Jaziri 16' Msakni 69' | [16] | ||
| 13 | Semi-finals | 15 December 2021 | Egypt | 1–0 | El Solia 90+5' (o.g.) | [17] | ||
| 14 | Final | 18 December 2021 | Algeria | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | — | [18] | ||
| 2025 | 15 | Group stage | 1 December 2025 | Syria | 0–1 | — | [19] | |
| 16 | Group stage | 4 December 2025 | Palestine | 2–2 | Layouni 16' Chaouat 51' | [20] | ||
| 17 | Group stage | 7 December 2025 | Qatar | 3–0 | Ben Romdhane 16' Meriah 62' Ben Ali 90+4' | [21] |
Tournaments
1963 Arab Cup
In early 1963, the Tunisian Football Federation appointed French coach André Gérard to lead the team in the inaugural edition of the Arab Cup, held in Beirut, Lebanon. The team won the title by winning all of its matches, defeating Syria 1–0, Jordan 4–0, Kuwait 5–1, and Lebanon 1–0.[22] Tunisia won its first title since independence, and Mongi Haddad finished the tournament as the top scorer with four goals.
Final tournament
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 8 | Champions |
| 2 | Syria | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 6 | |
| 3 | Lebanon | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 4 | |
| 4 | Kuwait | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 15 | −10 | 2 | |
| 5 | Jordan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 0 |
1988 Arab Cup
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Iraq | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 | |
| 3 | Lebanon | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Tunisia | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 5 | Saudi Arabia Ol. | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia Ol. | 1–1 | Tunisia |
|---|---|---|
| Farhan 80' | Maaloul 90' (pen.) |
2021 FIFA Arab Cup
After a nine-year hiatus, FIFA decided to organize the Arab Cup under its new name, the FIFA Arab Cup. On 25 July 2020, Tunisia was called up to participate in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. The team did not have to go through the qualifiers due to its first-place Arab team according to the FIFA World Ranking. The draw was held on 27 April 2021, and Tunisia was placed alongside the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Mauritania, who qualified from the qualifiers.
Tunisia played their first group stage match against Mauritania and achieved a resounding 5–1 victory with two goals from Seifeddine Jaziri, two goals from Firas Ben Larbi and a goal from captain Youssef Msakni.[23] The team suffered a shock defeat in the second match against underdogs Syria, 2–0,[24] but they still advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating the United Arab Emirates 1–0 with a goal from Jaziri,[25] placing Tunisia top of the group. In the quarterfinals, the team defeated Oman 2–1 thanks to goals from Jaziri and Msakni.[26] In the semifinals, Tunisia clashed with rivals Egypt, but managed to score a goal in the 95th minute after a free kick from Naïm Sliti, which was deflected into the net by Egypt's Amr El Solia, and secured qualification by ending the match with a 1–0 score.[27] This victory allowed Tunisia to reach its first FIFA final in the country's history.[28] In the final match, the team faced Algeria, which they defeated 0–2 in extra time.[29][30] Jaziri finished as the tournament's top scorer with four goals and won the FIFA Golden Boot award.[31] Despite losing the title, the team's performance restored confidence among the fans,[32] who attended the tournament in the tens of thousands, especially after the defeat against Syria and in the playoffs. In this context, they were congratulated by FIFA and named the best fans of the tournament.[33]
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | Syria | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Mauritania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
Quarter-finals
| Tunisia | 2–1 | Oman |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Semi-finals
Final
Tunisia[34]
|
Algeria[34]
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
|
Match rules[35]
|
2025 FIFA Arab Cup
On 26 April 2025, FIFA invited Tunisia to participate in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.[36] On 21 November, Sami Trabelsi unveiled the list of players selected for the FIFA Arab Cup, despite the absence of the biggest names playing in Europe, whose clubs had refused to release them. In the opening match, despite dominating the first half, the team suffered a 1–0 defeat against Syria.[37] In the second match against Palestine, Tunisia opened the scoring through Amor Layouni in the 16th minute, followed by Firas Chaouat's second goal in the 51st minute. However, the team's performance subsequently declined, and Palestine managed to pull one back in the 61st minute before equalizing in the 85th minute, thus securing a 2–2 draw.[38] In the third match, Tunisia defeated Qatar, the host country and 2023 AFC Asian Cup champions. Tunisia opened the scoring in the 16th minute through Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Yassine Meriah doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, and Mohamed Ben Ali scored the third goal in the 94th minute, sealing a 3–0 victory. The draw between Syria and Palestine resulted in Tunisia's elimination from the group stage.
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palestine | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Syria | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Tunisia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Qatar (H) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 |
Statistics
Head to head
- – Positive balance
- – Neutral balance
- – Negative balance
| Versus | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Def | First match date | Last match date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | –2 | 18 December 2021 | 18 December 2021 |
| Egypt | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 July 1988 | 15 December 2021 |
| Iraq | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 July 1988 | 9 July 1988 |
| Jordan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 4 April 1963 | 4 April 1963 |
| Kuwait | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 April 1963 | 6 April 1963 |
| Lebanon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 7 April 1963 | 17 July 1988 |
| Mauritania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 30 November 2021 | 30 November 2021 |
| Oman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 10 December 2021 | 10 December 2021 |
| Palestine | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 December 2025 | 4 December 2025 |
| Qatar | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 7 December 2025 | 7 December 2025 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 July 1988 | 11 July 1988 |
| Syria | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | –2 | 2 April 1963 | 1 December 2025 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 6 December 2021 | 6 December 2021 |
| 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 14 | +14 | 2 April 1963 | 7 December 2025 |
Goalscorers
| Rank | Player | 1963 | 1988 | 2021 | 2025 | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seifeddine Jaziri | 4 | 4 | |||
| Mongi Haddad | 4 | 4 | ||||
| 2 | Mohamed Salah Jedidi | 3 | 3 | |||
| 3 | Firas Ben Larbi | 2 | 2 | |||
| Youssef Msakni | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Hammadi Henia | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 4 | Raouf Ben Amor | 1 | 1 | |||
| Mohsen Habacha | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Mohamed Ali Mahjoubi | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Nabil Maâloul | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Taoufik Mehedhebi | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Yassine Meriah | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Amor Layouni | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Firas Chaouat | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Mohamed Ben Ali | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Amr El Solia (o.g.) | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 11 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 28 | |
– Best goalscorer(s) of the tournament
– Best goalscorer(s) of the team
Awards
- Top scorer
- 1963: Mongi Haddad (4 goals)
- 2021: Seifeddine Jaziri (4 goals)[39]
- Team of the Tournament
- Man of the match
- 2021: Seifeddine Jaziri (vs. Mauritania; Group B)[41]
- 2021: Hannibal Mejbri (vs. United Arab Emirates; Group B)[42]
- 2021: Mohamed Dräger (vs. Oman; Quarter-finals)[43]
- 2021: Hannibal Mejbri (vs. Egypt; Semi-finals)[44]
- 2025: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (vs. Qatar; Group A)[45]
See also
- Tunisia at the FIFA World Cup
- Tunisia at the FIFA Confederations Cup
- Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations
- Tunisia at the African Nations Championship
References
- ^ "Arab Cup 1963 Details". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Arab Cup 1988". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup 2021™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup 2025™". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Syria: live 2 april 1963. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Jordan vs Tunisia: live 4 april 1963. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Kuwait: live 6 april 1963. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Lebanon vs Tunisia: live 7 april 1963. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Iraq vs Tunisia: live 9 july 1988. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia U23 vs Tunisia: live 11 july 1988. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Egypt vs Tunisia: live 13 july 1988. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Lebanon vs Tunisia: live 17 july 1988. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Mauritania: live 30 november 2021. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Syria vs Tunisia: live 3 december 2021. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs United Arab Emirates: live 6 december 2021. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Oman: live 10 december 2021. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Egypt: live 15 december 2021. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Algeria: live 18 december 2021. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming, Sopcast | Soccer365". soccer365.me. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ "Tunisia vs Syria: live stream 1 december 2025. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming | Soccer365". soccer365.net. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ^ "Palestine vs Tunisia: live stream 4 december 2025. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming | Soccer365". soccer365.net. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ^ "Qatar vs Tunisia: live stream 7 december 2025. Team News, Preview, Lineups, Streaming | Soccer365". soccer365.net. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup 1963, football - table and standings, match results, schedule, stats, videos, news". soccer365.net. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Tunisia vs. Mauritania – 30 November 2021 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Syria vs. Tunisia – 3 December 2021 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Tunisia vs. UAE – 6 December 2021 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Tunisia vs. Oman – 10 December 2021 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Tunisia vs. Egypt – 15 December 2021 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Coupe Arabe: la Tunisie arrache la finale avec une énorme réussite en fin de match". RMC SPORT (in French). Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Tunisia vs. Algeria – 18 December 2021 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Algeria beat Tunisia to win FIFA Arab Cup 2021". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ "Coupe arabe : Seifeddine Jaziri, Soulier d'or". Mosaique FM (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Coupe Arabe: les supporters tunisiens arrivent en force au stade 974". RadioMosaiqueFM. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- ^ "Coupe Arabe des Nations 2021 : Les supporters tunisiens, les meilleurs de la compétition". Africa Top Sports (in French). 15 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- ^ a b "Tunisia vs Algeria Lineups". sofascore.com. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Regulations" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "La Tunisie participera à la Coupe Arabe des Nations FIFA 2025". www.kawarji.com. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ^ Touati, Mohamed Hedi (2025-12-01). "Tunisie – Syrie : Les Aigles de Carthage surpris d'entrée en Coupe arabe". webdo (in French). Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ "[Coupe Arabe] : Tunisie 2-2 Palestine – Un nul frustrant qui complique la qualification". Tunisie-Foot (in French). Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ "Golden reward for Brahimi, Mbohli and Jaziri". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "تعرف على التشكيلة المثالية لبطولة كأس العرب 2021". mala3eb.com (in Arabic). 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ walid (2021-11-30). "Coupe arabe 2021 : Seifeddine Jaziri élu homme du match Tunisie-Maurtanie | Directinfo" (in French). Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ HR (2021-12-06). "Tunisie – Emirats : Hannibal Mejbri homme du match". Le Temps News (in French). Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ tn, football (2021-12-10). "Coupe Arabe : Mohamed Dräger élu homme du match contre Oman". Football Tunisien (in French). Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ "Hannibal Mejbri élu homme du match face à l'Egypte". Mosaique FM (in French). Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ "La Tunisie bat le Qatar 3-0 mais est éliminée de la Coupe arabe 2025 tandis que la Palestine et la Syrie se qualifient". Foot Africa (in French). Retrieved 2025-12-07.