FIFA Clears Six Tunisian Players of Doping Charges After Food Contamination

FIFA has officially cleared six Tunisian national team players of doping charges following positive tests during the 2026 World Cup. The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) received confirmation from FIFA that no sanctions will be imposed on Hazem Mestouri, Rayane El Loumi, Aymen Dahmen, Sebastian Tounekti, Mohamed Belhadj Mahmoud, and Hannibal Mejbri. An FTF source confirmed to the Tunis Afrique Press (TAP) that the case is now definitively closed for these players, as it was proven they did not intentionally ingest any banned substances. The positive results were traced back to the consumption of beef treated with nutritional supplements, leading to food contamination rather than voluntary use of prohibited substances. However, the status of Ellyes Skhiri and Anis Ben Slimane is still pending a decision. The Tunisian team was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the group stage after losing all three of their matches.