The report says Tunisia conceded 12 goals across the group stage, a figure that would set a negative World Cup record if verified. The previous mark cited was 11 goals, conceded by Costa Rica in 2022.
The sequence was severe:
Tunisia therefore finished the tournament without a victory, while the defensive problems evident from the first match continued through the final whistle.
Sabri Lamouchi was reportedly dismissed after the opening loss, with Renard taking charge during the competition. The change did not produce an immediate response: Tunisia lost both remaining matches and conceded seven more goals.
That timing matters. A manager arriving mid-tournament has little opportunity to rebuild defensive organisation, alter the squad’s confidence or install a different pressing structure. Tunisia’s reported contrast between a qualifying campaign without conceding and a group stage with 12 goals against underlines the scale of the breakdown.
Renard’s departure now shifts the focus away from one coach and towards the federation’s wider planning. The repeated heavy defeats and the decision to change managers during the tournament point to problems that extend beyond the dugout.
The next appointment will face an immediate credibility test. Tunisia needs a coach capable of restoring defensive reliability, but the federation must also provide continuity between qualification and tournament football.
The next storyline will be whether Tunisia treats Renard’s reported exit as the end of a failed experiment or the starting point for a deeper reset in preparation for its next competitive fixtures.