The Swedish national team delivered one of the most dominant performances of the first day of the 2026 World Cup, defeating Tunisia 5-1 in Monterrey. The Scandinavian side dominated the match from start to finish and capitalized on every mistake by their opponent to secure a victory that puts them in sole possession of first place in Group F.
With an offensive display led by Yasin Ayari, Alexander Isak, and Viktor Gyokeres, the Swedes sent a clear message to the other teams in the group: they are ready to compete for a spot in the next round.
Sweden thrashes Tunisia
The game started off with high intensity right from the opening minutes.
Sweden took control of the ball and was quickly rewarded for its persistence.
Just seven minutes into the game, Yasin Ayari capitalized on a series of rebounds inside the box to send the ball into the back of the net and open the scoring.
The goal forced Tunisia to push forward in an attempt to mount a comeback.
The Águilas de Cartago created a few dangerous chances and came close to equalizing thanks to a shot by Anis Slimane that tested goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
However, just as the African team was starting to look its best, Sweden struck again.
Alexander Isak pulled off a brilliant solo run down the left flank, beat his marker, and finished with precision to make it 2-0.
A header that gave them some breathing room
Before halftime, Tunisia caught its breath.
Omar Rekik pulled one back with a header off a cross from Hannibal Mejbri, giving Tunisian fans new hope.
But any chance of a comeback vanished in the second half.
The turning point came in the 60th minute, when Ellyes Skhiri lost possession on a risky clearance.
Isak regained possession and set up Viktor Gyokeres, who finished confidently to score Sweden’s third goal.
The goal knocked the wind out of the Africans’ sails, and Sweden took advantage of every opening to extend its lead.
The two late goals
In the closing minutes, Svensson came on, and just seconds after entering the game, he scored the fourth goal following another assist from Isak.
As the match was drawing to a close, Ayari capped off her brilliant performance with a powerful shot from outside the box that sealed the 5-1 victory and earned her a brace.
With this result, Sweden has three points and sits atop Group F, capitalizing on the 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan.
Tunisia, meanwhile, sits in last place and will have to step up in the next round to keep its World Cup hopes alive.
The next test for the Swedes will be much tougher when they face the Netherlands, while Tunisia will look to make up ground against Japan in the 1,000th match in World Cup history.
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