Tunisian scores brace for Sweden against home country in World Cup opener

Tunisian-born Yasin Ayari scored twice against the country of his father’s birth as Sweden opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey.

The 22-year-old Brighton midfielder delivered the standout performance of the night, helping Graham Potter’s side move to the top of Group F after the Netherlands and Japan played out a draw in the group’s other opening fixture.

Ayari gave Sweden the perfect start after seven minutes when he capitalised on sloppy Tunisian defending and rifled a powerful effort into the top corner.

Despite becoming Sweden’s youngest World Cup scorer since Tomas Brolin in 1990, Ayari declined to celebrate his first international goal, which came against his family’s homeland.

Sweden doubled their advantage on the half-hour mark through Alexander Isak. Making his World Cup debut, the Liverpool forward finished emphatically into the bottom corner after combining with strike partner Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres played a key role in the move, holding off his marker near the halfway line before releasing Isak into space.

Tunisia reduced the deficit two minutes before half-time when defender Omar Rekik headed home from a Hannibal Mejbri free-kick to give the Eagles of Carthage hope heading into the break.

Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly extinguished in the second half.

Isak turned creator on the hour mark, setting up Gyokeres to restore Sweden’s two-goal cushion and put the match firmly under Swedish control.

The Liverpool striker was involved again 24 minutes later when substitute Mattias Svanberg made World Cup history. Svanberg scored just 12 seconds after entering the pitch, becoming the fastest substitute scorer in World Cup history.

Ayari then completed a memorable night in stoppage time, smashing home another long-range effort for his second goal of the match and Sweden’s fifth.

The result sends Sweden to the top of Group F after an impressive start to their World Cup campaign, with Ayari’s brace against Tunisia providing the headline moment of the evening.