Tunisia’s policy of recruiting players with dual nationality has come under renewed criticism following the national team’s disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with questions being raised over whether the strategy has delivered the results originally envisaged.
The debate, which has intensified in the wake of the Carthage Eagles‘ elimination, centres on a recruitment approach adopted in the years leading up to the 2018 World Cup.
At the time, the Tunisian Football Federation shifted its focus towards attracting players eligible to represent the country through dual or multiple nationalities, arguing that strengthening the squad with talent developed abroad would help bridge perceived shortcomings in domestic football infrastructure and youth development.
Eight years later, however, critics argue that the policy has fallen short of expectations.
A key figure in implementing the strategy was Slim Ben Othmane, who was appointed sporting director in February 2020. His primary responsibility centred on persuading dual-nationality players to commit their international futures to Tunisia.
What happened to Tunisia
Among the most notable recruits were midfielder Aïssa Laïdouni and Manchester United academy graduate Hannibal Mejbri, whose decision to represent Tunisia was marked by a high-profile announcement involving federation officials and national media.
Critics contend that such presentations placed too much emphasis on the recruitment process itself, arguing that representing the national team should be regarded as an honour rather than an achievement requiring public celebration.
They also question whether the sporting return has matched the attention devoted to attracting overseas-born players.
While acknowledging Hannibal Mejbri’s commitment to Tunisia, detractors point to his modest statistical contribution and argue that his club career has yet to justify the expectation that he could transform the national team.
The discussion has also prompted comparisons with neighbouring Morocco and Algeria, whose recruitment of dual-national players has included several footballers already competing at the highest level in Europe.
What’s the Change
According to critics, Tunisia does not possess the same depth of overseas talent, making attempts to replicate the strategies adopted by its North African rivals difficult to sustain.
Attention has also turned to players who ultimately chose not to represent Tunisia, with some arguing that greater efforts should have been made to retain the country’s highest-rated prospects instead of recruiting players viewed as less influential.
Others believe Tunisia’s traditional approach produced stronger foundations.
For many years, the national team relied primarily on players developed in the domestic league, supplemented by a limited number of footballers based abroad who had established themselves through consistent performances.
Former internationals including Wahbi Khazri, Slim Ben Achour, Ali Boumnijel and Mehdi Nafti are cited as examples of players selected on sporting merit rather than simply because they had been trained outside Tunisia.
Critics argue that, over time, playing in Europe appeared to become an advantage in itself, regardless of a player’s level of competition or experience, with overseas-based footballers often perceived more favourably than standout performers in the Tunisian league.
They warn that such an approach risks undermining confidence in the country’s own player development system and weakening the identity of the national team.
Despite the criticism, there remains broad agreement that dual-national players should continue to be considered for selection when they provide clear sporting value.
The debate instead focuses on striking the right balance between recruiting talent from abroad and investing in the domestic game, as Tunisia seeks to rebuild following its disappointing World Cup campaign.
With the federation expected to review its long-term strategy, the future direction of Tunisian football is likely to remain at the centre of discussion in the months ahead.
