The Eagles of Carthage became the first African team to be eliminated from the 2026 tournament after conceding nine goals in two matches.

Guadalupe, Mexico (Running Africa) — Tunisia has become the first African nation eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Japan on Saturday, ending the Eagles of Carthage’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

The loss leaves Tunisia without a mathematical path to qualification from Group F after back-to-back defeats. Following a 5-1 opening loss to Sweden, the North African side has now conceded nine goals in two matches, making progression impossible regardless of the outcome of their final group-stage fixture against the Netherlands.

Japan seized control of the contest from the opening minutes, with Daichi Kamada finding the net just four minutes into the match. Ayase Ueda doubled the advantage before Junya Ito added a third, exposing Tunisia’s defensive vulnerabilities. Ueda later completed his brace in the second half as Japan comfortably secured all three points.

The result caps a turbulent week for Tunisia, which parted ways with head coach Sabri Lamouchi following the defeat to Sweden. The Tunisian Football Federation turned to experienced manager Hervé Renard in a bid to rescue the campaign, but the coaching change failed to halt the team’s downward trajectory.

Tunisia entered the tournament hoping to make a deeper impact on the world stage, but instead became the first African side to see their World Cup journey end. Their final group-stage match against the Netherlands will now serve as an opportunity to restore pride and end the tournament on a positive note.

For Japan, the emphatic victory strengthens their position in Group F and underlines their growing reputation as one of the strongest teams outside football’s traditional powerhouses.