Sweden crushes Tunisia 5-1 and takes the lead in Group F

With a flawless performance led by a brace from Yasin Ayari, the Swedish national team proved it belongs among the elite of the 2026 World Cup by crushing Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday night at BBVA Stadium.

The resounding victory catapults the Swedes directly to the top of Group F, taking advantage of the fact that the group favorites, the Netherlands and Japan, drew 2-2 earlier in Arlington, Texas.

Ayari’s “Respect” and a lethal duo

Sweden (ranked 39th in the world), returning to the World Cup after missing the Qatar 2022 edition, dominated the match from the opening whistle. Yasin Ayari was responsible for opening and closing the scoring with two spectacular long-range shots (in the 7th minute and in stoppage time of the second half).

The young midfielder moved the crowd by not celebrating his first goal, raising his hands in a sign of respect for Tunisia, his father’s homeland.

In addition to Ayari’s performance, Sweden’s offense shone thanks to the perfect chemistry between its star forwards, who each contributed a goal and an assist:

• Alexander Isak: The Liverpool striker, who missed much of last season due to a broken leg, scored in the 30th minute with a low shot following a counterattack.
• Viktor Gyökeres: The Arsenal forward calmly finished a one-on-one opportunity created by a ball steal and an assist from Isak in the second half. He has now scored 16 goals in his last 15 matches with the national team.

“We have quite different qualities, which is very beneficial for the team,” Isak explained about his partnership with Gyökeres. “We can contribute different types of attacks.” Swedish manager Graham Potter also celebrated this chemistry, noting that the team “took a big step forward.”

Tunisia Can’t Find Its Footing

For its part, the Tunisian national team (ranked 45th in the world) continues to struggle on the world stage. Despite competing in their seventh World Cup, they have never advanced past the group stage.

Omar Rekik gave the North Africans a glimmer of hope by scoring in the 43rd minute to make it 2-1, but goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh’s errors and Sweden’s physical dominance ultimately sealed the rout, which was capped off by a goal from Mattias Svanberg in the 84th minute following a lengthy VAR review.

Match Stats and What’s Next