Sweden made a flying start to their 2026 World Cup campaign, thrashing Tunisia 5-1 in Monterrey as Isak, Gyokeres and Ayari starred in a statement victory.
Sweden launched their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, crushing Tunisia 5-1 in Monterrey to extend their unbeaten run in World Cup opening matches to five games.
Graham Potter’s side delivered a clinical attacking display that immediately underlined their credentials as potential dark horses in Group F.
Having reached the tournament through the play-offs after a difficult qualification campaign, Sweden wasted little time proving they belonged on football’s biggest stage. The Europeans dominated the opening stages and raced into a two-goal lead inside the first half hour.
The breakthrough arrived when Tunisia goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh badly misjudged a long ball forward from Victor Lindelof. Although Viktor Gyokeres saw his initial effort blocked, Yasin Ayari reacted quickest and smashed the loose ball into an empty net from long range to give Sweden the lead.
Yasin Ayari scored a banger for Sweden vs. Tunisia but chose not to celebrate out of respect for his father’s country of birth 🇸🇪🇹🇳 pic.twitter.com/bG1hjAU4rc
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 15, 2026
Sweden doubled their advantage on the half-hour mark through a devastating counterattack. Gyokeres cleverly released Alexander Isak, and the Liverpool forward showed his composure by calmly finishing beyond Chamakh to put the Scandinavians firmly in control of the contest.
Tunisia responded positively before the interval and gave themselves hope heading into the second half. Omar Rekik found space inside the penalty area and headed home a precise cross from Hannibal Mejbri to reduce the deficit and shift some momentum in favour of the North Africans.
Any hopes of a Tunisian comeback were quickly extinguished after the restart. Captain Ellyes Skhiri was dispossessed high up the pitch by Isak, who immediately turned provider for Gyokeres. The striker made no mistake from close range, scoring his 15th goal in his last 16 international appearances to restore Sweden’s two-goal cushion.
Gyökeres on his World Cup debut.
A complete display of transition threat, elite link-up and hold-up play, intelligent channel running, and relentless physicality.
1 goal
1 assist
4 chances created (Most)
0.64 xG (Most)
11 touches in opponent’s box (Most) pic.twitter.com/tNWeeeuSf6— The Football Era (@Footballera0) June 15, 2026
The Blågult continued to create chances and added further gloss to the scoreline late on. Substitute Mattias Svanberg needed just 12 seconds after entering the field to find the net, setting a new record for the fastest goal scored by a substitute at a World Cup. Ayari then completed his brace with a stunning strike from outside the box in stoppage time.
The convincing victory sends Sweden to the top of Group F and provides a huge confidence boost ahead of a crucial clash with the Netherlands. Tunisia, meanwhile, face an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout rounds and will look to bounce back when they take on Japan in their next group-stage encounter.
