Tunisia has participated three times in the FIFA Arab Cup, the biggest men's football event in the Arab world. Tunisia was one of five teams participating in the first edition of the Arab Nations Cup, held in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1963. At the time, the tournament was official. Under the leadership of French coach André Gérard, Tunisia won the title, finishing first in the group after winning all four of its matches and collecting eight points against Syria 1–0, Jordan 4–0, Kuwait 5–1, and Lebanon 1–0. Mongi Haddad was the tournament's top scorer with four goals. Tunisia missed the next three editions and did not return until 1988. Under the leadership of Mokhtar Tlili, the team was forced to play two qualifying matches, drawing 0–0 against Algeria and winning 2–1 against Mauritania. During the finals, the team's performances did not live up to expectations, and they were eliminated in the first round after three draws against Iraq 1–1, Saudi Arabia 1–1, and Lebanon 1–1, as well as a 0–1 defeat against Egypt.
On 25 July 2020, FIFA invited Tunisia to participate in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, the first edition under the auspices of FIFA with the participation of sixteen teams in the final tournament. Tunisia advanced directly to the finals without qualifying, thanks to its first place in the Arab world in the FIFA world rankings. The team finished first in its group after two wins against Mauritania 5–1 and the United Arab Emirates 1–0, as well as a surprise defeat against Syria 0–2. In the quarter-finals, the team defeated Oman 2–1 and, in the semifinals, Egypt 1–0 thanks to a goal in the 90+5 minute. However, Tunisia lost the final to Algeria 0–2 after extra time. Seifeddine Jaziri was the tournament's top scorer with four.
On 26 April 2025, FIFA invited Tunisia to participate in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar. Tunisia advanced directly to the finals without qualifying, thanks to its fifth place in the Arab world in the FIFA world rankings.
In early 1963, the Tunisian Football Federation appointed French coach André Gérard to lead the team in the inaugural edition of the Arab Cup, held in Beirut, Lebanon. The team won the title by winning all of its matches, defeating Syria 1–0, Jordan 4–0, Kuwait 5–1, and Lebanon 1–0.[18] Tunisia won its first title since independence, and Mongi Haddad finished the tournament as the top scorer with four goals.
After a nine-year hiatus, FIFA decided to organize the Arab Cup under its new name, the FIFA Arab Cup. On 25 July 2020, Tunisia was called up to participate in the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. The team did not have to go through the qualifiers due to its first-place Arab team according to the FIFA World Ranking. The draw was held on 27 April 2021, and Tunisia was placed alongside the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Mauritania, who qualified from the qualifiers.
Tunisia played their first group stage match against Mauritania and achieved a resounding 5–1 victory with two goals from Seifeddine Jaziri, two goals from Firas Ben Larbi and a goal from captain Youssef Msakni.[19] The team suffered a shock defeat in the second match against underdogs Syria, 2–0,[20] but they still advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating the United Arab Emirates 1–0 with a goal from Jaziri,[21] placing Tunisia top of the group. In the quarterfinals, the team defeated Oman 2–1 thanks to goals from Jaziri and Msakni.[22] In the semifinals, Tunisia clashed with rivals Egypt, but managed to score a goal in the 95th minute after a free kick from Naïm Sliti, which was deflected into the net by Egypt's Amr El Solia, and secured qualification by ending the match with a 1–0 score.[23] This victory allowed Tunisia to reach its first FIFA final in the country's history.[24] In the final match, the team faced Algeria, which they defeated 0–2 in extra time.[25][26] Jaziri finished as the tournament's top scorer with four goals and won the FIFA Golden Boot award.[27] Despite losing the title, the team's performance restored confidence among the fans,[28] who attended the tournament in the tens of thousands, especially after the defeat against Syria and in the playoffs. In this context, they were congratulated by FIFA and named the best fans of the tournament.[29]
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