In his first match at the 2026 World Cup, 22-year-old midfielder Yasin Ayari delivered an extraordinary debut, scoring twice to lead Sweden to a 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Group H. However, what stood out most was the lack of exuberant celebrations typically seen after such goals.
In the 7th minute, Ayari opened the scoring with a stunning volley into the top corner of the Tunisian net. Instead of an elaborate celebration, he raised his hands to the sky and performed the Islamic prayer prostration (sujoud). The reason: Ayari's father is Tunisian, and his mother is Moroccan, though he was born and raised in Sweden.
"It's crazy that we ended up in the same group as them," Ayari said of facing his father's national team.
Ayari once had the opportunity to represent Tunisia, but his father, Azzouz Ayari, supported his son's choice to play for Sweden. "I want him to play for Sweden," Azzouz told Aftonbladet. "He should feel he is repaying the country that took care of him."
The midfielder explained that choosing the yellow-and-blue shirt over the red-and-white was "natural" because he had played for Sweden's youth teams since childhood. Ayari started playing football at age 7 at local club Rasunda, later joined AIK, and made his first-team debut in 2020. In 2023, he signed with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League and made his senior national team debut the same year.
In the 5th minute of stoppage time, Ayari sealed the 5-1 win with a precise long-range shot into the far corner. This time, he celebrated with teammates Anthony Elanga and Mattias Svanberg, soaking in the warm applause from Swedish fans.
