By Angu Lesley
Football writer kick442.com – Cameroon
Tunisia’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to a disappointing end on Thursday as the Carthage Eagles suffered a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in their final Group F match, finishing bottom of the group without a point.
Having already lost heavily to Sweden and Japan in their opening two matches, Tunisia entered the encounter hoping to restore some pride against the group leaders. However, they were once again undone by a clinical European side.
The Netherlands dominated the early exchanges and took the lead in the 19th minute through Cody Gakpo, who capped off a flowing move with a composed finish. Xavi Simons doubled the Oranje’s advantage ten minutes later, leaving Tunisia with a mountain to climb before half-time.
To their credit, Tunisia emerged with renewed determination after the break and found a lifeline in the 58th minute when Elias Achouri finished off a well-worked move to reduce the deficit to 2-1. The goal briefly raised hopes of a comeback, with the North Africans enjoying their best spell of the match.
Those hopes were dashed in the 76th minute as Donyell Malen finished a swift Dutch counterattack to restore the two-goal cushion and seal a 3-1 victory for Ronald Koeman’s side.
The defeat concludes a difficult tournament for Tunisia, who conceded 12 goals and scored just twice across their three group matches. Heavy defeats to Sweden (5-1) and Japan (4-0), followed by Thursday’s loss to the Netherlands, exposed the gap between the Carthage Eagles and their group rivals.
While the campaign ends in disappointment, Tunisia will look to regroup and rebuild ahead of future continental and international competitions, with valuable lessons to be learned from a challenging World Cup experience.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, progressed to the Round of 32 as Group F winners, while Sweden joined them in the knockout stage after drawing 1-1 with Japan.
French 
English