World Cup 2026: Helpless Tunisia crushed 5-1 by Sweden in Group F opener

Tunisia endured a nightmare start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign as they suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat against Sweden in their opening Group F encounter at Estadio Monterrey.

A brilliant brace from Yasin Ayari helped inspire a dominant Swedish performance, while goals from Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Mattias Svanberg completed a miserable evening for the North Africans.

Sweden signalled their attacking intent from the opening minutes and nearly found the breakthrough in the seventh minute. Gyokeres reacted quickest to a rebound inside the penalty area and fired a low effort towards goal, only for a Tunisian defender to produce a remarkable clearance off the line.

The pressure eventually paid off when Ayari opened the scoring. The midfielder collected a loose ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a stunning strike into the top-right corner to give Sweden a deserved lead.

One sweet strike! 🇸🇪#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/MfShvFbd3F

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 15, 2026

Isak doubles Sweden's advantage

The Scandinavians extended their lead in the 30th minute through Isak, who showcased his quality with a superb solo effort. The forward danced past several challenges before drilling a low shot into the middle of the net beyond the reach of goalkeeper Abdelmouhib Chamakh.

🥶#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/mNr4F8rPtd

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 15, 2026

At 2-0, Sweden appeared firmly in control, but Tunisia found a route back into the contest just before halftime.

Tunisia reduced the deficit in the 43rd minute when Hannibal Mejbri delivered an inviting ball into the penalty area. Omar Rekik rose unmarked and guided a close-range header into the bottom-left corner to make it 2-1.

The goal provided Tunisia with renewed belief heading into the break and briefly raised hopes of a second-half comeback.

Defensive errors prove costly

However, any momentum Tunisia gained before halftime disappeared shortly after the restart. In the 59th minute, a costly defensive mistake handed Sweden a golden opportunity.

A misplaced touch allowed Gyokeres to seize possession inside the area before calmly slotting the ball into the net to restore Sweden's two-goal cushion at 3-1.

The goal visibly deflated Tunisia, who struggled to mount any meaningful response as Sweden continued to dictate proceedings.

Ayari shines as Sweden finish in style

Sweden put the result beyond doubt in the closing stages when Svanberg capitalised on a loose ball inside the box and fired into the bottom-left corner to make it 4-1.

The celebrations were briefly halted as referee Yael Perez consulted VAR to review the goal, but after a lengthy check the decision stood, allowing Sweden to celebrate once more.

There was still time for Ayari to complete a memorable night. Deep into stoppage time, the midfielder latched onto a precise pass before smashing a powerful effort inside the right post to seal a comprehensive 5-1 victory and his second goal of the match.

Sweden take early control of Group F

The emphatic result sends Sweden to the top of the Group F standings and significantly boosts their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Group F standings are in 📝#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 15, 2026

Tunisia must now find a way past Japan and the Netherlands in their remaining matches to stand any chance of advancing to the knockout stage.