Sabri Lamouchi

Sabri Lamouchi is the head coach of Tunisia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his second World Cup on the touchline 12 years after the first. Born in Lyon on 9 November 1971 to Tunisian parents, he holds dual French and Tunisian citizenship and built a long playing career as a defensive midfielder at Auxerre, Monaco, Parma, Inter Milan, Genoa and Marseille. He won the Ligue 1 title with Monaco in 2000 and earned 12 caps for France, including a place in the Euro 1996 squad.

He took his first managerial job with Ivory Coast in May 2012 and immediately qualified the Elephants for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. After Brazil came a Qatari spell at El Jaish, including the 2016 Crown Prince Cup, and then a return to France with Rennes, finishing fifth and securing Europa League qualification. Nottingham Forest in 2019–20 brought two Championship Manager of the Month awards, followed by club work in Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Al-Riyadh and Al-Diriyah) and a brief spell at Cardiff City in 2023.

The Tunisian federation came calling on 14 January 2026, signing him through to 31 July 2028 after the departure of Sami Trabelsi. He inherited a Tunisia side already qualified for the 2026 World Cup and went to work building his own identity in time for the tournament. Tunisia are placed in Group D. With Hannibal Mejbri, Ellyes Skhiri, Aïssa Laïdouni and a French-based generation of expatriates, Lamouchi's homecoming brief is simple: end Tunisia's record of never advancing from a World Cup group stage.