MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Tunisia has fired coach Sabri Lamouchi after being thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in its first match at the World Cup and appointed French coach Hervé Renard.
The 54-year-old Lamouchi had been in charge only since January.
Renard's deal covers only the World Cup and a longer-term agreement will be discussed after that, the Tunisian soccer federation said on Tuesday.
Tunisia’s heavy loss on Sunday left the North African nation with a tough task to reach the last 32. The team’s remaining group games are against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on June 25.
Renard is an experienced coach who specializes in leading national teams across Africa and the Arabic-speaking world. He's won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and the Ivory Coast.
He coached Morocco at the 2018 World Cup and Saudi Arabia in 2022 — earning a notable upset win over eventual champion Argentina — and the French team at the following year's Women's World Cup.
His most recent job was another stint with Saudi Arabia's men, which ended in April when he was replaced by Georgios Donis following two friendly losses ahead of the World Cup.
It's not the first time Tunisia has made a mid-tournament coaching change at a World Cup. In 1998, Henryk Kasperczak was fired after group-stage losses to England and Colombia, which ruled the team out of contention for the knockout stage before its closing match against Romania.
Spain went even earlier at the 2018 World Cup, firing Julen Lopetegui two days before its first group game — against Portugal — after he was announced as the next Real Madrid coach for the following season.
Tunisia is making its seventh appearance at the World Cup and has never advanced from the group stage.
Lamouchi is a former France international who previously coached Ivory Coast at the 2014 World Cup.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi watches during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi watches during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi stands ahead of the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined world leaders at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations Tuesday for talks on ending the war in Ukraine after more than four years of conflict sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Zelenskyy was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a morning working session with G7 leaders to discuss the war.
The Ukraine talks come on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of an agreement to end the 3 1/2-month-old U.S. war against Iran. Trump said he had good conversations on Sunday with both Zelenskyy and Putin.
“Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” he said at the G7 summit.
Five of the seven leaders, representing Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan, were huddled in conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before the start of the first session on Ukraine. Trump was missing. Macron, too, hadn’t arrived yet because he was with Zelenskyy.
In recent weeks, the Iran conflict has overshadowed the war in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched. Macron said he’ll seek to persuade Trump to continue supporting Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to help reach a peace agreement.
Hours before the start of the G7 summit, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark.
The attacks on Ukraine's biggest cities came after Zelenskyy and Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the U.S. leader's 80th birthday. The exchange suggests Washington hasn’t given up on its diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting that followed Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor in 2022.
While campaigning for a return to the White House, Trump claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. He has since acknowledged it has proved much harder than he initially thought it would be.
Ukraine on Monday officially started European Union membership negotiations, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights a Russian invasion.
Ukraine sees EU membership as a security guarantee for a stable future once the war ends. Its best guarantee would be membership in the NATO military alliance, but the Trump administration insists that cannot happen, and others are wary of it joining while the war continues.
Tuesday’s discussions also include a work session focused on “ending crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East.” Leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are to join the talks.
In recent months, Trump has had sharp disagreements with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over his failure to consult them before the decision to go to war in Iran. Trump has threatened reprisals, including drawing down U.S. troops in all four countries, all members of the NATO military alliance, for their lack of support.
Despite those disagreements, the tone in Evian should be rather measured, as U.S. allies seek rapid progress that could ease the economic impact of rising oil prices caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now, and very importantly the oil is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today,” Trump said.
Ahead of their meeting at the G7, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement congratulating the United States, the Iranian government and the mediators on what they called a “diplomatic breakthrough.” Canada also signed the statement. The leaders said it was vital for detailed negotiations to take place and for the deal to be quickly implemented so the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened to tanker traffic.
Macron later said France and other Western partners are “ready to take action very quickly” to help reopen the strait peacefully. France and Britain have championed a mission to restore maritime security in the strait as soon as conditions allow.
Trump, however, appeared to downplay the need for a large international military deployment. “I don’t think we’re gonna need much help," he said during his meeting with Macron. “But I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a ship or two up here from a few countries. You’d be a great country to do it."
Trump will participate in meetings that include sit-downs with the emir of Qatar and the president of the UAE before attending a cultural performance and a dinner with the other G7 leaders.
The G7 comprises France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Other guest nations at this summit, including Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea, were invited to participate in some discussions.
Madhani reported from Geneva. Samuel Petrequin in London contributed to this report.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Monday, June 15, 2026. (Yoan Valat, Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives with his wife Victoria Starmer ahead of the G7 Summit, held in France's Evian-les-Bains, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday June 15, 2026. (Isabel Infantes, Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron waves from a car leaving after meeting security forces ahead of G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, left, greets U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Monday, June 15, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
