Ayari leads Sweden’s 5-1 rout of Tunisia in World Cup debut

Yasin Ayari turned Sweden’s World Cup debut into a warning shot for the rest of the tournament. The Brighton midfielder scored in the seventh minute and again in the 90+6th, capping a 5-1 dismantling of Tunisia that was as much about Sweden’s attacking range as it was about Tunisia’s defensive collapse.

The match at Estadio Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 14, 2026, was settled early and then reopened by Tunisia’s mistakes. Alexander Isak made it 2-0 in the 30th minute, Viktor Gyökeres added another, and Mattias Svanberg completed the scoring for Sweden. Omar Rekik briefly kept Tunisia in it with a goal in the 43rd minute, but Ayari’s late long-range strike erased any doubt and underscored how thoroughly Sweden controlled the closing stages.

Ayari’s double mattered beyond the scoreline. His first goal came from outside the area, and his second arrived after another poor Tunisian buildup, the kind of turnover that punished Sabri Lamouchi’s side throughout the night. The final finish was not just a flourish; it was evidence of a team that stayed sharp enough to strike even in stoppage time and of an opponent that never solved its own problems on the ball.

For Sweden, the performance was a statement in its opening Group F match. The victory sent the Scandinavian side to the top of the group after the first round and showed the power of a front line built around Ayari, Isak and Gyökeres. Against Tunisia, each was decisive in a different phase of the match, a sign that Sweden can threaten from distance, in transition and through direct finishing.

Ayari’s story added another layer. Born in Solna, Sweden, he has a Tunisian father and a Moroccan mother, and he did not celebrate his first goal. He had considered representing Tunisia in 2021 before choosing Sweden, which made his brace in Monterrey all the more pointed.

Lamouchi said afterward that Tunisia had been punished for a string of costly mistakes, and that such errors can be fatal in a tournament like this. Opponents in Group F now have a clear blueprint: press Tunisia’s buildup, and they will find Sweden ready to finish the game from almost anywhere on the field.