Herve Renard quits Tunisia after record-breaking World Cup collapse

The 57-year-old Frenchman confirmed his departure on Saturday, less than three weeks after taking charge of the Eagles of Carthage.

"My adventure ends here," Renard wrote on Instagram. "I would like to thank the Tunisian Football Federation for the opportunity to coach the team at the World Cup. It was an honour to represent Tunisia and to have this unforgettable experience."

Renard was appointed on June 16 following the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi, who paid the price for Tunisia's humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening Group B match. However, the former Saudi Arabia manager was unable to halt the team's slide, overseeing a 4-0 loss to Japan before a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands confirmed Tunisia's elimination without a single victory.

The campaign proved to be one of the darkest chapters in Tunisia's World Cup history. Having arrived in North America with high expectations after topping their qualifying group without conceding a goal, the Carthage Eagles shipped 12 goals in three matches - the most ever conceded by a team in the group stage of a FIFA World Cup, surpassing Costa Rica's previous record of 11 at Qatar 2022.

Renard admitted after the defeat to Japan that he felt "ashamed" by the performance and, following Tunisia's exit, indicated that his mission had always been limited to the World Cup.

The coaching turmoil came after a period of instability within Tunisian football. Sami Trabelsi had guided the country through an impressive qualifying campaign but was dismissed following a last-16 exit at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Lamouchi then took charge and selected the World Cup squad, only to depart after the opening defeat to Sweden.

Tunisia's football federation must now regroup quickly ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September, where the team has been drawn in Group H alongside Uganda, Libya and Botswana.

Despite the disappointing end to his brief spell in charge, Renard leaves with a formidable reputation in African football. He remains the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries, leading Zambia to the title in 2012 before repeating the feat with Ivory Coast in 2015.

Renard also enjoyed one of the most memorable moments of the 2022 World Cup when his Saudi Arabia side stunned eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in their opening match in Qatar, although the Saudis ultimately failed to progress beyond the group stage.

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