Sweden overwhelmed Tunisia 5-1 in Monterrey, Mexico, to take an early lead in Group F on the opening matchday of the 2026 World Cup. The game was held at the Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe.
Sweden opened the scoring in the seventh minute amid chaos in the Tunisian defense. Midfielder Yasin Ayari unleashed a thunderbolt from outside the box to make it 1-0 for the Scandinavian side. Ayari, who has Moroccan and Tunisian heritage, refrained from excessive celebration despite the impressive strike.
In the 30th minute, Sweden doubled their lead. Following a rapid counterattack, Alexander Isak (Liverpool) surged down the left flank, cut inside, and fired home. Goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.
However, just before halftime, Tunisia pulled one back. Omar Rekik headed past the Swedish goalkeeper from a Hannibal Mejbri cross, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
Sweden maintained control in the second half. In the 59th minute, midfielder Ellyes Skhiri lost possession at the edge of the box; Alexander Isak stole the ball and set up Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), who slotted home to restore the two-goal cushion.
Late in the game, Sweden extended their lead to 4-1 when Mattias Svanberg scored, with VAR confirming he was onside. Ayari then capped the rout with another stunning long-range strike, sealing a 5-1 victory.
Notably, Tunisia had entered the tournament as the first team in World Cup qualifying history not to concede a single goal, but that record was shattered in the opener. Meanwhile, Sweden—a quarterfinalist in 2018 who missed Qatar 2022—showed formidable strength.
Tunisia, who made history in 1978 as the first African team to win a World Cup match (beating Mexico), have never advanced past the group stage.
