The Tunisia national team left one of its biggest prospects out of the 2026 World Cup: Louey Ben Farhat, a 19-year-old forward who plays for Karlsruher SC in Germany.
The surprise was enormous because everyone expected his call-up, but coach Sabri Lamouchi revealed that the player’s own father called to ask that he not be taken to the tournament.
The father reportedly argued that “it was still too soon” for him. The decision caused a scandal in the country because Ben Farhat is already of legal age and was seen as one of the stars of the future.
According to sources close to the family, the fear was that a bad World Cup could affect his career or his market value just as major clubs in Europe are closely following him.
However, many fans suspect another reason: since the player was born in Germany and has dual nationality, they believe he may be waiting for a possible call-up from the German national team.