Hervé Renard has resigned as head coach of Tunisia less than three weeks after taking charge, bringing a swift end to one of the shortest managerial spells in the country’s football history.
The 57-year-old Frenchman confirmed his departure on Saturday through a message on social media, thanking the Tunisian Football Federation for the brief opportunity.
“My adventure ends here,” Renard wrote.
“I would like to thank the Tunisian Football Federation for the opportunity to coach the team at the World Cup.”
Renard was appointed following Tunisia’s disappointing campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Despite leading the Carthage Eagles through an impressive World Cup qualifying campaign, former coach Sami Trabelsi was dismissed after Tunisia suffered a last-16 exit at the continental tournament.
Under Trabelsi, Tunisia topped their World Cup qualifying group without conceding a single goal, raising hopes of a strong showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, the federation opted for a coaching change after the AFCON setback.
Sabri Lamouchi was initially brought in to oversee Tunisia’s World Cup preparations and named the squad for the tournament hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. His tenure, however, ended abruptly after Tunisia opened their campaign with a crushing 5-1 defeat to Sweden in Group B.
Renard then took over ahead of the remaining group fixtures, but Tunisia’s fortunes did not improve. They suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to Japan before concluding their campaign with a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands.
The three defeats meant Tunisia exited the tournament without a single point and finished with the unwanted record of conceding the most goals in the group stage.
Renard leaves behind a remarkable coaching résumé despite his brief spell with Tunisia. He first gained international recognition during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, serving as assistant coach to Ghana under Claude Le Roy.
He later enjoyed his greatest success with Zambia, guiding the Chipolopolo to a historic Africa Cup of Nations triumph in Gabon in 2012 after returning for a second spell in charge.
In 2015, he achieved another milestone by leading Côte d’Ivoire to the AFCON title, becoming the first coach to win Africa’s premier international tournament with two different nations.
Renard also made headlines at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar when his Saudi Arabia side stunned eventual champions Argentina with a memorable 2-1 victory in their opening group match. Although Saudi Arabia failed to progress after defeats to Poland and Mexico, the victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina remains one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.
