Tunisia's national team played its first official game in 1957 following the country's independence from France the year prior, but they had been playing unofficially since 1928. The Eagles of Carthage gained qualification to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 1978; although they would not qualify again until 1998, they have made several appearances in the sport's biggest competition in the years since. This positive period for Tunisian football also coincided with their first Africa Cup of Nations success in 2006.
