Sweden Routs Tunisia 5-1 in 2026 World Cup Group F Opener

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Yasin Ayari bookended a ruthless Swedish performance with two goals as Sweden opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 5-1 demolition of Tunisia in Mexico, instantly establishing themselves as Group F's team to beat.

Ayari struck early on the seventh minute before returning in stoppage time to seal the scoreline. In between, Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres, and Mattias Svanberg each added their names to the scoresheet. Omar Rekik provided Tunisia's sole consolation, but it did little to obscure the gulf between the two sides.

The result places Sweden atop Group F, a position made all the more comfortable by events elsewhere in the group: the Netherlands and Japan played out a 2-2 draw in their opener, leaving both heavyweights already playing catch-up.

Sweden next face the Netherlands, while Tunisia take on Japan — fixtures scheduled for June 20 and 21 respectively, with both teams knowing a second defeat could effectively end their tournament.

The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marks the first edition to feature 48 national teams across 12 groups. Two teams from each group advance automatically, joined by the eight best third-placed finishers. Argentina enter the tournament as defending champions.