Doping suspicion at the World Cup: 8 players test positive

The Tunisian National Team, which could not reflect the success it desired in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bid an early farewell to the tournament after losing 5-1 to Sweden, 4-0 to Japan, and 3-1 to the Netherlands in the group matches. However, immediately following the unsuccessful results in the tournament, the allegation that banned substances were found in the doping tests of some players on the team dropped like a bombshell.

In the statements made, it was claimed that the substance clenbuterol was detected in the samples of eight Tunisian footballers. As this development was confirmed, the players experienced great shock, while officials from the Tunisian Football Federation defended themselves by stating that they did not take this substance consciously. While an investigation into the incident has been launched, the file has been taken under review by the relevant commission.

THERE MAY BE A MEAT-RELATED REASON BEHIND THE DOPING

According to the allegations, it was stated that the substance clenbuterol can occasionally be found in meat in some countries, such as Mexico, where livestock farming is common. The possibility that the Tunisian National Team may have consumed such products during their training camp and thus were unintentionally exposed to the banned substance has been put on the table.

It was recalled that a similar situation was experienced by five Mexican footballers in the 2011 Gold Cup, and after a detailed investigation, both the Mexican Football Federation and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted that the players had tested positive due to the consumption of contaminated meat.