Sunday, June 5, 2026 - Eight players in Tunisia's World Cup squad have tested positive for clenbuterol, a substance on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
According to The Times, the players ingested the substance
by eating contaminated meat at their World Cup base in Mexico.
The clubs of the players have been informed about the
situation; however, it is likely that FIFA will not impose a penalty because
the incident is assessed to originate from contaminated food sources, rather
than intentional use of banned substances.
Tunisia endured a miserable tournament, losing 5-1 to Sweden
on June 15, 4-0 to Japan on June 21 and 3-1 to the Netherlands on June 26.
Meanwhile, there is a history of athletes testing positive
in Mexico after unknowingly eating contaminated meat.
In the 2011 Under 17s World Cup, held in Mexico, no fewer
than 109 players returned positive tests for clenbuterol. Both FIFA and WADA
decided not to prosecute any cases because the weight of evidence pointed to
contamination.
Mexico, who won the tournament, were pronounced as testing
clean because they switched to a diet of fish and vegetables before it started.
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