Sweden made a powerful start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a dominant 5–1 victory over Tunisia in their Group F opener at Monterrey Stadium on Sunday, June 14.
Under manager Graham Potter, the Scandinavian side delivered a composed and clinical performance, combining sharp attacking movement with efficient finishing to overwhelm their North African opponents.
Sweden set the tone early, with Yasin Ayari breaking the deadlock in the seventh minute through a long-range effort that gave Tunisia’s defence little time to settle.
The early breakthrough was followed by sustained pressure, culminating in a second goal from Alexander Isak in the 30th minute after a precise assist from Viktor Gyökeres, highlighting Sweden’s fluid attacking combinations.
Tunisia, however, managed to respond before the interval when Omar Rekik headed home in the 43rd minute, briefly narrowing the deficit and offering hope heading into halftime.
Any momentum shift was quickly halted after the restart, as Sweden reasserted control of the match. Gyökeres restored the two-goal cushion in the 59th minute after capitalising on a defensive lapse from Tunisia.
Manager Graham Potter’s substitutions further strengthened Sweden’s grip on the contest, with Mattias Svanberg making an immediate impact by scoring in the 84th minute shortly after coming on.
Yasin Ayari then capped off a standout individual display with his second goal deep into stoppage time in the 96th minute, sealing a comprehensive victory for the Europeans.
Despite Tunisia’s brief resurgence before the break, they struggled to cope with Sweden’s tempo, movement and precision in the final third throughout the match.
The result places Sweden at the top of Group F after the opening round of fixtures, while Tunisia face early pressure as they look to recover in their remaining group games.
