Sweden made a powerful statement in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thrashing Tunisia 5-1 in a dominant Group F encounter at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Monday.
Heading into the tournament, both nations were viewed as contenders for a place in the knockout rounds, but it was the Scandinavian side that showed greater quality, composure and attacking efficiency as they collected all three points in emphatic fashion.
The Swedes got off to a dream start after capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Tunisia. Goalkeeper Marouane Chamakh failed to deal with a loose ball, allowing Viktor Gyökeres to apply pressure.
The resulting scramble saw the ball fall kindly to Yasir Ayari, who unleashed a stunning right-footed strike from outside the box into the top corner to hand Sweden an early lead.
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Ayari, born in Sweden to a Tunisian father and Moroccan mother, chose not to celebrate against the country of his father’s birth. Nevertheless, his goal gave Sweden the perfect platform to control proceedings.
Tunisia struggled to contain Sweden’s attacking trio of Alexander Isak, Gyökeres, and Joachim Bernhardsson. Their pressure paid off again in the 32nd minute when Gyökeres turned provider.
The Sporting CP striker released Isak, who burst through the Tunisian backline before calmly finding the back of the net for his maiden World Cup goal and Sweden’s second of the evening.
Just when it appeared Sweden would head into the break with a comfortable advantage, Tunisia found a lifeline. Hannibal Mejbri delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area, where defender Omar Rekik rose highest to power home a header and reduce the deficit to 2-1 before halftime.
The North Africans attempted to build on that momentum after the restart, but Sweden’s midfield superiority and relentless pressing quickly restored control.
A costly giveaway in Tunisia’s defensive third allowed Isak to repay Gyökeres for the earlier assist, setting up the striker to slot home Sweden’s third goal and re-establish a two-goal cushion.
Substitute Mattias Svanberg then made an instant impact. Moments after stepping onto the pitch, he scored with his very first touch. Although the assistant referee initially raised the offside flag, a VAR review confirmed the goal after a slight touch from Isak, making it 4-1.
Sweden were not done yet. Ayari capped off a memorable evening by grabbing his second goal of the match. After controlling the ball brilliantly, the midfielder unleashed another powerful effort that flew past the goalkeeper to complete a resounding 5-1 victory.
The match also saw 20-year-old Lucas Bergvall make history, becoming Sweden’s youngest World Cup player since legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimović.
With the victory, Sweden moves to the top of Group F and sends an early warning to its rivals. For Tunisia, defensive errors and a lack of cutting edge proved costly as they suffered a disappointing start to their World Cup journey. They will need a swift response in their next fixture if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the Round of 16 alive.
Sweden, meanwhile, will take immense confidence from a clinical performance that showcased their attacking depth, tactical discipline and ability to punish mistakes on football’s biggest stage.
Starting Line Up
Sweden: Kristoffer Nordfeldt(GK), Gustaf Lagerbielke, Isak Hien, Victor Lindelof, Alexander Bernhardsson, Jesper Karlstrom, Yasin Ayari, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Benjamin Nygren, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak
TUNISIA: Abdelmouhib Chamakh(GK) Yan Valery Omar Rekik Montassar Ben Hamida Ellyes Skhiri Rani Khedira Ben Slimane Hannibal Mejbri Ali Abdi Elias Saad