The Tunisia national football team (Arabic: منتخب تونس لكرة القدم), (French: Équipe de Tunisie de football) represents Tunisia in men's international football since their maiden match in 1957. It is governed by the Tunisian Football Federation, founded in 1957 after the Tunisian independence in 1956. Tunisia are colloquially known as Les Aigles de Carthage (The Eagles of Carthage). The team's colours are red and white, and the Bald eagle its symbol, Periods of regular Tunisian representation at the highest international level, from 1962 to 1978, from 1994 to 2008 and again from 2014 onwards, Most of Tunisia's home matches are played at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Radès since 2001, The team represents both FIFA and CAF.
Tunisia's national team have participated in three quadrennial major football competitions. It appeared in the end stages of five FIFA World Cups and eighteen Africa Cup of Nations, and featured at four Olympic football tournaments. Nevertheless, they created history in that 1978 tournament in Argentina by becoming the first African side to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico 3–1. They also held defending champions West Germany to a goalless draw before bowing out. They have since qualified for three tournaments in succession, in 1998, 2002 and 2006 before returning in the last edition held in Russia in 2018; however in spite of this rich record, Tunisia had never been able to progress out the group stage in any FIFA World Cup or Summer Olympics tournaments. Tunisia has long-standing football rivalries with North African teams: Egypt, Morocco and Algeria. In fact, the Tunisian team has always met with them, whether through friendly matches or World Cup qualifiers and the African Cup of Nations. Tunisia is one of the most successful African national teams in competitions, having won one African Cup of Nations, as tournament hosts in 2004. They have also been runners-up twice in 1965 as hosts and 1996 held in South Africa.
Tunisia is a notorious case as this is one of the most successful and frequent participant in major African competitions, yet fails to deliver the same expectation outside Africa. Although Tunisia has won one AFCON and participated in four Summer Olympics and five FIFA World Cup, the Tunisians have all failed to progress beyond the group stage of Olympics and World Cup.
