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Tunisia appoint Renard following Lamouchi dismissal

Tunisia dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi and brought in compatriot Herve Renard following their heavy 5-1 loss to Sweden during the World Cup opener in Monterrey.

Lamouchi became the tournament first coaching casualty after taking the role in January under a deal running until 2028. He departs ahead of upcoming fixtures versus Japan and the Netherlands.

The side secured only one victory in five outings under Lamouchi, a 1-0 success against Haiti in March, alongside a 1-0 reverse to Austria and a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium in recent warm-up fixtures.

The Tunisian Football Federation confirmed Renard will lead the team through the remainder of their World Cup involvement. The statement added that talks will begin post-campaign to explore an extended arrangement tied to clear performance targets.

State broadcaster Television Tunisienne indicated Renard is due to reach Monterrey on Tuesday to join the group.

Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations victor, guided Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup and secured a notable win over eventual champions Argentina in the group phase. He subsequently took charge of the French women team for the 2023 World Cup and Paris Olympics, then returned to Saudi Arabia to help the men qualify for a third straight tournament before Georgios Donis replaced him ahead of the event.

Key events

1h ago Tunisia appoint Renard following Lamouchi dismissal
1h ago Introduction

France: Attention now turns to the upcoming fixtures. France, boasting a potent forward line that includes Kylian Mbappe, former Ballon d Or recipient Ousmane Dembele and dynamic winger Michael Olise, begin their campaign against Senegal in New Jersey.

The French side aims to steer clear of any repeat of their opening defeat to Senegal at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, a setback that saw the defending champions exit at the group stage. Luke Entwistle reflects on that earlier setback for Les Bleus and stresses the need for a strong start in the partnership between Mbappe and Dembele.

The on-pitch connection between Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele represents a notable concern. Dembele has yet to replicate his club form consistently for the national side, highlighted by his difficult showing in the World Cup final four years ago that led to an early substitution. His recent Ballon d Or success has sparked calls for deployment as the central striker, a role where he has excelled at PSG under Luis Enrique, yet Mbappe occupies that position internationally.
Regarding Mbappe central role, coach Deschamps offers a straightforward response. Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa have all opted for the same approach at club level in recent seasons. Shifting him now would lack logic. Meanwhile Dembele challenges on the right flank and limited synergy with the captain fuel ongoing national discussion similar to England 2006 debates over integrating Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

A nostalgic review of the 2002 encounter follows, which captured worldwide attention at the time.

World Cup Daily: The on-site team delivers a daily podcast. The newest edition features Max Rushden alongside Barry Glendenning, Barney Ronay, Dan Bardell and Sid Lowe examining the various draws. Tune in now.

Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay: The Group H clash in Magic City drew limited local excitement, as Matt Hughes noted.

Miami hosts more Instagram influencers per capita than Los Angeles or New York, implying Fifa might have enlisted some to promote tickets instead of relying on IShowSpeed, whose energetic style has started to annoy certain high-profile guests in Fifa VVIP zones.
Given the city emphasis on celebrity and style, Miami locals prove hard to impress, while sports enthusiasts enjoy abundant options. Hard Rock Stadium has staged six Super Bowls and regularly features on the Formula One calendar, so a group-stage World Cup match between two low-scoring teams was unlikely to stand out.

Turning to the action: Maximiliano Araujo secured a point for La Celeste to prevent Saudi Arabia claiming another notable World Cup victory in a 1-1 draw in Miami.

Saudi Arabia, who stunned eventual winners Argentina in their 2022 opener, took the lead via Abdulelah al-Amri in the first half yet faced mounting late pressure and could not maintain the advantage against the two-time champions.

Uruguay controlled possession after the break, with Manuel Ugarte striking the post from distance after an hour. The sustained pressure paid off ten minutes from time as Araujo converted from close range following a saved header by Federico Vinas.

Belgium 1-1 Egypt: Another African side earned a positive result, though Egypt might have claimed more without Romelu Lukaku forcing an own goal seconds after entering the field, allowing favored Belgium to escape with a draw in Seattle.

Emam Ashour netted his maiden international goal with a fine 20-yard strike to give Egypt a 1-0 advantage in the 19th minute. Coach Hossam Hassan positioned Mohamed Salah centrally on his 34th birthday, yielding early dividends. After receiving an early caution, Salah supplied a precise pass to Ashour in midfield. The player controlled with his first touch and fired past Thibaut Courtois into the lower left corner.

Lukaku entered in the 66th minute and within 23 seconds the Napoli forward split defenders from a Thomas Meunier cross, prompting the own goal off Mohamed Hany foot in a scramble before Mostafa Shobeir. Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans observed: He serves as a focal point. He must regain fitness after missing the season, yet he contributes effectively in this manner.

Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: Sid Lowe opened his Atlanta Stadium report with Wow, just wow, capturing the surprise. European champions Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by World Cup debutants Cape Verde.

Spain, viewed among pre-tournament favorites, were expected to overcome Cape Verde in their Group H opener. Despite 74 percent possession and sustained pressure, the 2010 champions could not break through against the underdogs from the small volcanic islands home to 525,000 people. Even the introduction of Barcelona Lamine Yamal failed to produce a goal for Luis de la Fuente team.

At the final whistle Cape Verde players and fans erupted in celebration after earning an unlikely point in their debut World Cup match. Goalkeeper Vozinha told reporters: The dream came true. We faced Spain, one of the world top teams. We feel happy and proud of the players and Cape Verde people.

Spain coach De la Fuente urged calm and expressed confidence in reaching the final. We remain composed and believe much lies ahead. In our view seven games remain, he stated.

Tunisia appoint Renard following Lamouchi dismissal

Tunisia dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi and brought in compatriot Herve Renard following their heavy 5-1 loss to Sweden during the World Cup opener in Monterrey.

Lamouchi became the tournament first coaching casualty after taking the role in January under a deal running until 2028. He departs ahead of upcoming fixtures versus Japan and the Netherlands.

The side secured only one victory in five outings under Lamouchi, a 1-0 success against Haiti in March, alongside a 1-0 reverse to Austria and a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium in recent warm-up fixtures.

State broadcaster Television Tunisienne indicated Renard is due to reach Monterrey on Tuesday to join the group.

Iran 2-2 New Zealand: Iran endured a demanding encounter, finishing 2-2 against New Zealand amid pre-tournament tensions. Post-match coach Amir Ghalenoei criticized Fifa and expressed frustration with US authorities over an immediate departure order from Los Angeles.

We have devoted extensive time to air travel. Recovery time after today match was not provided. Officials required an immediate exit. Recovery periods matter greatly to us, yet we must return to Tijuana, creating real difficulties.
The reasons for the return remain unclear. The situation appears unusual. Others appear to direct our schedule, with decisions made externally. We were meant to arrive two nights before the match but were not allowed, and plans to stay tonight before a lunchtime return tomorrow were altered without explanation.
Our team faces the greatest challenges in this World Cup. The federation is missing here. Our media is absent. Many management personnel are unavailable. We lacked additional coaching support for substitutions. Technical staff had to manage without it.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi labeled the handling a disaster and noted Fifa president Gianni Infantino visited the dressing room to offer assistance. Footage on X shows Infantino telling players they are stronger than everything and that they are writing history with the world watching.

Infantino also indicated he would work to enable more Iranian delegation members, who lacked visas, to join for remaining group matches.

Introduction

Two-thirds of the opening group matches in the 2026 World Cup are now complete. How does everyone feel? Energized, delighted, immersed in the action? Or fatigued, swamped, drained? Perhaps all at once. Regardless, prepare for extensive coverage ahead.

Reactions follow from Spain 0-0 Cape Verde, Belgium 1-1 Egypt, Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay and Iran 2-2 New Zealand, where draws proved plentiful, before previews of France v Senegal, Iraq v Norway, Argentina v Algeria and Austria v Jordan. How will the 2022 finalists perform? What about the African title holders, or new Asian entrants? Early surprises have emerged, and with so many fixtures more are anticipated.

Share views on recent displays or forthcoming matches. What is your World Cup setup? Watching from home or fortunate enough to secure tickets? Send predictions, questions, remarks or concerns via email.