Meet Rayan Elloumi.
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC homegrown forward will compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he'll represent Tunisia on the world's biggest stage.
- Age: 18
- Hometown: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
MLS background
Elloumi signed a first-team contract with Vancouver in September 2025 after progressing through the Whitecaps' system, from the academy to MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Whitecaps FC 2.
Last year, he was part of the Vancouver side that reached MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi.
Awards & stats
- 2g/0a in 17 MLS appearances
International experience
- Caps: 3
- Goals: 0
Elloumi originally made his international debut for Canada in January 2025 before filing a one-time switch to represent Tunisia.
He debuted for the Eagles of Carthage during the most recent March window and made a positive impression on head coach Sabri Lamouchi, earning his place on the World Cup roster.
This will be Elloumi's first World Cup appearance.
World Cup schedule
Tunisia are in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden.
- June 14: Tunisia vs. Sweden, 10 pm ET | Monterrey, Nuevo León
- June 21: Tunisia vs. Japan, 12 am ET | Monterrey, Nuevo León
- June 25: Tunisia vs. Netherlands, 7 pm ET | Kansas City, Missouri
The 2026 World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, has expanded from the usual 32 nations to 48 total.
The top two teams advance from each group, and the top eight third-place finishers also make the knockout phase (Round of 32).
World Cup history
Tunisia are making their seventh World Cup appearance since debuting in 1978, where they became the first African and Arab team to win a World Cup match.
Though they've never made it past the group stage, the Eagles of Carthage added another famous victory in 2022, defeating eventual finalists France, 1-0.
How Tunisia qualified
Tunisia topped CAF (Confederation of African Football) Group H, going undefeated in 10 matches without conceding a single goal.
Nine African teams qualified directly for the World Cup.
