Sweden Dominates Tunisia with 5-1 Victory in World Cup Opener

In an impressive display, Sweden triumphed over Tunisia with a commanding 5-1 victory in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday, thanks to standout performances from Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, along with a brace from Yasin Ayari.

The Swedish squad wasted no time in asserting their dominance, with Ayari striking a powerful long-range effort to open the scoring just seven minutes into the match. They extended their lead in the 30th minute when Isak, who has faced challenges during an injury-prone season, received a pass from Gyokeres and skillfully slotted the ball into the far corner.

Although Tunisia managed to respond shortly before halftime with a header from Omar Rekik, Isak quickly turned the tide back in Sweden's favor by assisting Gyokeres for the team's third goal. Mattias Svanberg, who had only been on the field for 18 seconds, added a fourth goal in the 84th minute, which was initially disallowed for offside but later confirmed after a video review. Ayari capped off the evening with another spectacular strike deep into stoppage time, marking a perfect finish to Sweden’s performance.

“Fantastic. Great performance, five goals, solid. Could have scored more. All credit to the players, they were fantastic. There's room for improvement but we will enjoy tonight. Then recover and get ready again,” said Swedish coach Graham Potter after the match.

With this victory, Sweden sits atop Group F, ahead of their next matchup against the Netherlands on June 20, while Tunisia prepares to face Japan. Tunisia's coach Sabri Lamouchi acknowledged the challenge, stating, “It’s a big loss, obviously not the best way to start this competition, but we paid for our mistakes.”