Sassi was left out of Tunisia's most recent two games prior to his World Cup omission
Published May 15, 2026 • Source: bbc.com
By Mandeep Sanghera
Tunisia manager Sabri Lamouchi has left midfielder Ferjani Sassi - who has 101 caps - out of the country's squad for the World Cup.
Sassi, 34, has been omitted along with defender Yassine Meriah, who has made 95 appearances for Tunisia.
Former Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest boss Lamouchi, who took over as Tunisia boss in January, left both players out of his squad for two friendlies against Haiti and Canada in his first two games in charge earlier this year.
Midfielder Rani Khedira, whose brother Sami Khedira won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, has been included after switching nationality in March.
Burnley's Hannibal Mejbri and fellow midfielder Anis Ben Slimane, who is at Norwich City, are in Lamouchi's 26-man squad for the tournament.
Promising Paris St-Germain forward Khalil Ayari, 21, has yet to make the first-team squad for the French club but has been called up.
Tunisia play Sweden on 15 June in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
They will then face Japan and the Netherlands in their other Group F games.
Tunisia World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Sabri Ben Hessen (Etoile Sahel), Abdelmouhib Chamakh (Club Africain), Aymen Dahman (CS Sfaxien)
Defenders: Ali Abdi (Nice), Adem Arous (Kasimpasa), Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance), Dylan Bronn (Servette Geneva), Raed Chikhaoui (US Monastir), Moutaz Neffati (Norrkoping), Omar Rekik (NK Maribor), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Yan Valery (Young Boys Berne)
Midfielders: Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa), Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City), Ismael Gharbi (FC Augsburg), Rani Khedira (Union Berlin), Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano), Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley), Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Forwards: Elias Achouri (FC Copenhagen), Khalil Ayari (Paris St Germain), Firas Chaouat (Club Africain), Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps), Hazem Mastouri (Dynamo Makhachkala), Elias Saad (Hannover 96), Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic)