After qualifying for the 2018 event, which ended a 12-year absence from the world arena, Tunisia is headed to their sixth FIFA World Cup finals this winter, making it two championships in a row.
The Eagles of Carthage, ranked 30th in the world, are the third-highest ranked African team in the league this year after Senegal (18th) and Morocco (22nd) (22nd). Despite consistently qualifying from 1998–2006, their World Cup record has been less than stellar.
They have only won twice in 15 games at this level: against Mexico in their first World Cup appearance in 1978 and against Panama in their first qualifying game four years ago.
However, Tunisia has never been a hopeless minnow, and they have never been eliminated from a World Cup after losing all three games or failing to gain at least one point.
It provides some encouragement for Jalel Kadri’s graduating class of 2022, even if their long-term prospects remain dim.
