Tunisian football has built a reputation through foundational acts. The most significant was the 3–1 victory against Mexico in 1978, often remembered as the first World Cup success for an African national team.
There's also another memorable date for the Tunisian people: the triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004, secured in a historic final against Morocco. In the modern era, Tunisia also left a strong mark at the 2022 World Cup with a 1–0 victory against France.
💡 How did we determine our top 10 Tunisian players?
The ranking is based on a combination of criteria: peak level, consistency over several seasons, impact at club/national team, and individual accolades.
Statistical data primarily comes from widely accessible reference databases (notably Transfermarkt).
10) Francileudo Santos
With the Tunisian national team, Francileudo Santos boasts 41 caps and 22 goals, a rare ratio at this level. A penalty box striker, but above all a man for big matches, he has the particularity of holding dual Tunisian and Brazilian nationality.
Top scorer of the 2004 AFCON (4 goals), Santos notably opened the scoring in the final with a header from a Mehdi Nafti cross. At club level, the center-forward also established himself as a reference for FC Sochaux (top scorer in Ligue 2 with 21 goals in 2001/2002).
9) Zied Jaziri
Jaziri's national team CV is particularly impressive: 63 caps and 14 goals. It was he who, after Francileudo Santos, sealed the victory in the 2004 AFCON final. On February 14, 2004, he scored the decisive goal, the most important in Tunisian football history.
This goal alone is enough to earn him a place in this ranking. For those who may have forgotten, here is the action that remains etched in the memory of Tunisian football:
8) Khaled Badra
A central defender, Badra combined volume and longevity. His 96 caps, including 10 goals, attest to this, which is never insignificant for a defender. He was part of the 2004 squad, but his club legacy is also significant with 9 Tunisian championship titles and 3 Tunisian Cups won with Espérance de Tunis.
7) Radhi Jaïdi
Jaïdi is the most capped Tunisian player in history with 105 selections. His career is also marked by his time in Europe. He notably played 62 Premier League matches, which, for a Tunisian defender of his generation, remains a significant achievement.
He was also part of the golden generation that won the 2004 AFCON.
6) Wahbi Khazri
Khazri belongs to that Tunisian generation of the 2010s-2020s that gradually built itself up and asserted its dominance. With 74 caps and 25 goals, the playmaker also established himself as a prominent figure in Ligue 1, where he played 297 matches for five different clubs: Bastia, Bordeaux, Rennes, Saint-Étienne, and Montpellier.
5) Hatem Trabelsi
A complete right-back, equally comfortable in a dominant team as in a struggling one, Trabelsi amassed 61 caps for Tunisia.
In addition to being one of the 2004 AFCON winners, he also boasts 2 Dutch championship titles and 2 national cups with Ajax Amsterdam. It was here that he made a real European impact with 27 Champions League matches.
4) Youssef Msakni
Msakni is the quintessential modern creator. With a total of 104 caps and 23 goals for Tunisia, he is a pillar of his national team.
His list of achievements is extensive, starting with the CAF Champions League in 2011 with Espérance de Tunis, followed by several Tunisian championship titles and a series of trophies in Qatar. He also stands as the top scorer in the Tunisian championship in 2011/12 (17 goals), a rare feat for a non-striker.
3) Sadok Sassi
Nicknamed "Attouga," Sadok Sassi embodies an era, a style, and a true authority. With 85 caps, he is above all associated with the 1978 World Cup. As the starting goalkeeper during Tunisia's historic 3-1 victory against Mexico, he not only marked the history of his nation but also that of all African football.
2) Hammadi Agrebi
With 35 caps, Agrebi's total is less impressive than some of the other players listed in this ranking. Nevertheless, he remains a recognized legend of Tunisian football, notably for having spent his entire career at CS Sfaxien (218 matches and 74 goals). The club even retired the number 8 in his honor.
A member of the 1978 World Cup generation, Agrebi provided the assist that allowed Tunisia to equalize against Mexico, before ultimately clinching the match.
1) Tarak Dhiab
Tarak Dhiab is often considered the greatest Tunisian player in history. A key playmaker for the Carthage Eagles, he has 89 caps and 12 goals. Winner of the African Footballer of the Year award in 1977, he remains the only Tunisian to have won this distinction.
Also an assist provider against Mexico at the 1978 World Cup, he played a full part in one of the greatest chapters in Tunisian football.