Tunisia Books Place at World Cup 2026 After Late Goal Thriller

Tunisia has officially secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a dramatic 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea in the eighth round of African qualifiers. The decisive moment came in stoppage time, when Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan struck the winning goal that sealed the Carthage Eagles’ qualification.

Tunisia entered the match knowing that only a win would guarantee early qualification, as it needed to extend its lead over Namibia to a ten-point gap in Group H. Despite a lackluster first half and early second-half performance, goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen kept Tunisia in contention with a series of vital saves that denied Equatorial Guinea clear scoring chances.

Coach Sami Trabelsi made key substitutions in the second half, bringing on Naïm Sliti, Ismaël Gharbi, Firas Chaouat, and Ben Ramadan to boost the attack. The changes proved decisive in the closing moments.

In the 90+3 minute, Firas Chaouat intercepted the ball from defender Saul Coco and surged toward goal before unselfishly squaring it to Ben Ramadan, who calmly slotted the ball home, sparking wild celebrations as Tunisia booked its ticket to the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.