In action for Germany as a youth
For the World Cup dream: World champion brother changes association
March 5, 2026 – 12:27 p.mReading time: 1 min.
As a youth player, Rani Khedira played for Germany. Now the Union professional has changed associations.
The FIFA court has officially confirmed Rani Khedira’s change of association. The 32-year-old midfielder from Union Berlin will be allowed to play for the Tunisian national team in the future – and could therefore take part in the 2026 World Cup.
As the Tunisian association announced on Wednesday, Khedira, who was born in Stuttgart, is now eligible to play. His father comes from Tunisia. He played for the German junior national teams from the U15 to the U19 levels – he was never nominated for the U21 or the senior national team.
Tunisia will face Japan and the Netherlands in Group F at the World Cup. The tournament will take place from June 11th to July 19th in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The third group rival will be determined in the playoffs. At the end of March, Khedira could play for the North Africans for the first time – then there are international matches against Haiti and Canada.
In addition to the German Football Association (DFB), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the European Football Union (Uefa) were also informed about the change of association. Tunisia is hoping for additional experience and stability from Khedira. His brother Sami became world champion with Germany in 2014.
