World Cup 2026 opens next week as Tunisia target first knockout place

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens next week, launching the largest edition of the tournament in its history.

The competition will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July, with 48 teams taking part for the first time.

The expanded format replaces the previous 32 team structure. Teams have been divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group and the eight best third placed teams advancing to a new round of 32.

Tunisia have been drawn in Group F with Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands.

The national team will begin their campaign against Sweden at Estadio Monterrey on 14 June, before facing Japan, also in Monterrey, and then the Netherlands in Kansas City.

It will be Tunisia’s seventh appearance at the World Cup. The team first qualified in 1978, when they became the first African side to win a match at the tournament, beating Mexico 3-1 in Argentina.

Tunisia have since appeared in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2022, but have never progressed beyond the group stage.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Tunisia beat defending champions France 1-0 in their final group match, one of the national team’s most memorable results. The win came too late, after earlier results against Denmark and Australia had left Tunisia third in the group and out of the knockout rounds.

The expanded format gives more teams a route into the second round. The Netherlands enter the tournament as the highest profile side in Group F, while Japan have built a strong international reputation in recent years. Sweden return to the tournament after missing the 2022 edition.

The tournament also carries wider interest for Maghreb and African football. Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Senegal are among the African teams taking part, alongside Tunisia.

Morocco enter the competition after reaching the semi finals in 2022, the best performance by an African or Arab team at a World Cup. Senegal and Egypt add further weight to African representation, while Algeria’s return gives the Maghreb a strong presence in the expanded tournament.

The 2026 World Cup will also be the first hosted by three countries. Matches will be played across 16 cities, with the final scheduled for 19 July.

For Tunisian supporters at home and abroad, the focus will quickly turn to Monterrey. Tunisia’s campaign begins against Sweden on 14 June, in a group that will test whether the team can turn past moments of promise into a first appearance in the knockout stage.