Newspaper reports indicate that at least eight players from the Tunisian national team, which was eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after disastrous results, tested positive for a banned substance in sports samples.
The British newspaper "Daily Mail" revealed the discovery of the substance "Clenbuterol," which is commonly used by bodybuilders, in the players' samples, as a result of their consumption of meat at the team's training center in Mexico.
The newspaper reported that officials concluded that the athletes' use of the banned substance was most likely unintentional.
The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits this substance, which is commonly used to dilate the airways, but may be misused to accelerate fat burning and metabolism.
The newspaper added that the players' clubs were informed of the discovery of this substance, but it is likely that no disciplinary action will be taken against the players, on the grounds that they were victims of contaminated food and did not intentionally use the substance to enhance athletic performance.
Neither FIFA nor the Tunisian Football Federation has commented on these reports so far.
It is worth noting that the Tunisian national team suffered a heavy defeat against its Swedish counterpart (1-5) at the beginning of its journey in the World Cup, which led to the immediate dismissal of coach Sabri Lamouchi and the temporary appointment of Hervé Renard. However, it fell again against Japan with four goals to nil, before concluding its journey with a third defeat against the Netherlands (1-3).
