Tunisia suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of hosts Belgium at the King Baudouin Stadium, as both nations fine-tune their preparations ahead of the World Cup 2026.
The “Eagles of Carthage” had previously put up a solid performance in their first friendly against Austria, losing narrowely 1-0 in Vienna. Consequently, hopes were high that Sabri Lamouchi’s men could replicate that resilient display against the Belgians. However, Rudi Garcia’s side dominated the match from the whistle, heavily relying on the veteran mastery of Kevin De Bruyne and the electrifying skills of Jérémy Doku, who completely dismantled the Tunisian defense.
Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for Belgium in the 28th minute, converting a low cross after Doku brilliantly cut into the penalty box. Charles De Ketelaere doubled the lead in the 52nd minute with a precise header.
De Bruyne and Substitutes Seal Dominant Victory After Gharbi Red Card
Tunisia’s struggles worsened in the 62nd minute when Ismaël Gharbi was shown a straight red card. Shortly after, Kevin De Bruyne capitalised on the numerical advantage, netting Belgium’s third goal with a stunning strike from the edge of the box. Substitutes Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin then put the game to bed, scoring in the 85th and 87th minutes respectively to cap off the 5-0 rout.
This friendly carried significant tactical importance for Belgium, as they prepare to kick off their World Cup campaign in North America against Egypt on Monday, June 15th.
Meanwhile, Tunisia is bracing itself for a grueling group-stage run. The North Africans will launch their tournament against Sweden on June 15th, followed by clashes with Japan and a powerhouse Netherlands side—who recently suffered a shocking 1-0 friendly loss to Algeria.
