(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Sweden Defeats Tunisia 5-1 to Take Early Lead in FIFA World Cup Group F
Sweden delivered an impressive performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday to move to the top of Group F.
Midfielder Yasin Ayari starred for Sweden with two goals, while Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres, and Mattias Svanberg also found the net in a commanding team display at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico.
The victory places Sweden in a strong position in Group F after fellow contenders the Netherlands and Japan played out a 2-2 draw earlier in the day.
Ayari opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a long-range strike and added another goal in stoppage time to cap off an outstanding individual performance. Following his first goal, the midfielder celebrated respectfully, acknowledging his family ties to Tunisia through his father.
Sweden doubled their advantage in the 30th minute when Viktor Gyökeres led a quick counterattack and set up Alexander Isak. The striker calmly finished past the goalkeeper to register his 18th international goal.
The Swedish attack continued to create opportunities throughout the match, with Gyökeres contributing both a goal and an assist, while Svanberg also added his name to the scoresheet.
Tunisia’s lone goal came from Omar Rekik. The North African side, competing in its seventh FIFA World Cup, will now look to recover in its remaining group-stage matches.
Sweden, which missed the 2022 World Cup after reaching the quarterfinals in 2018, showed strong attacking quality and teamwork as it began its 2026 campaign with a convincing victory.
With three points secured and a healthy goal difference, Sweden currently leads Group F and has boosted its chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
