Ayari scores twice against his father's homeland; Sweden top group after Netherlands-Japan draw

Sweden's Alexander Isak (right) celebrates with teammate Viktor Gyökeres, who provided the assist, after scoring during their 2026 World Cup Group F opener against Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Monday. [AP]
Sweden's Alexander Isak (right) celebrates with teammate Viktor Gyökeres, who provided the assist, after scoring during their 2026 World Cup Group F opener against Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Monday. [AP]

Sweden moved to the top of Group F at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, routing Tunisia 5-1 behind a dominant display from Premier League duo Alexander Isak of Liverpool and Viktor Gyökeres of Arsenal.

Coached by Graham Potter, Sweden defeated Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, with Isak and Gyökeres combining to dismantle the North African side.

The victory lifted Sweden above Japan and the Netherlands, who had earlier played to a 2-2 draw at Dallas Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Group F has been widely regarded as the tournament's group of death.

Sweden struck early, taking the lead in the seventh minute when Yassin Ayari collected a cleared ball and drove it into the net with his right foot. Ayari, whose father is Tunisian and whose mother is Moroccan, scored against his father's homeland in his World Cup debut.

Isak doubled the lead in the 30th minute, collecting a pass from Gyökeres, driving forward alone and curling a right-footed shot into the corner from the left side of the penalty arc. Tunisia pulled one back in the 43rd minute when Hannibal Mejbri crossed from the right flank and Omar Rekik glanced a header into the net to make it 2-1.

Sweden went into halftime leading by just one, but restored their two-goal cushion in the 59th minute after capitalizing on a costly Tunisian error. Isak won a challenge and slipped the ball to the right side of the penalty area, where Gyökeres ran onto it and finished crisply with his right foot.

Substitute Mattias Svanberg, who had just come on for Jesper Karlström, added a fourth in the 84th minute to put the game beyond doubt. Ayari then completed his brace in stoppage time, converting a right-footed strike from the right side of the penalty arc.

Sweden face the Netherlands in their second group match on June 21 at Houston Stadium in Houston, while Tunisia take on Japan the same day at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

Sweden are appearing in their 13th World Cup overall and their first since the 2018 tournament in Russia — a gap of eight years. Their best-ever finish remains a runner-up showing at the 1958 World Cup, which they hosted.


yjc@heraldcorp.com