After a very rocky qualifying campaign, Sweden turned in one of the most surprising opening games thus far at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, scoring two goals in the first half and three in the second to walk away with a stunning 5-1 win over Tunisia on Sunday night in Monterrey.
Tunisia entered the game with a stellar defensive effort in World Cup qualifying, but Sweden were able to carve through that defense with ease. The win moved Sweden to the top of Group F with three points, two points clear of the Netherlands and Japan who drew earlier in the day.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Sweden Responding Under Potter
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Sweden’s World Cup qualifying was a disaster as the team finished last its qualifying group without a win. But it was given a lifeline under the current format as its strong performance in the UEFA Nations League allowed it to advance to the World Cup qualifying playoffs.
Last October, Sweden hired Graham Potter to breathe life into the team which had regressed in recent years. The players have responded tremendously to the English manager.
Sweden vs Tunisia Extended Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™
Potter prioritized squad morale, simplified tactics, and came up with tactics that brought out the best in elite forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres.
This win over Tunisia was a continuation of the growth under Potter. Isak and Gyökeres were the difference makers. Despite conceding a goal, Sweden’s defense was smart and organized. Tunisia typically thrives on counterattacks and Sweden was ready. Tunisia’s counterattack yielded few chances.
With this win, Potter has taken a Swedish team that was winless in qualifying into the tournament via the backdoor. Now they are not just approaching the knockouts, but are potentially instilling fear into future opponents who are watching.
2. Tunisia’s Uncharacteristic Mistakes
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It was expected that Tunisia’s defense would be the team’s biggest strength, with the potential of even being enough to take it to the knockout stage. There were plenty of reasons to support this.
Tunisia made historic headlines by going through all of its qualification cycle without conceding a single goal. The Eagles of Carthage secured 28 out of a possible 30 points during its run through CAF qualifiers while outscoring its opponents 22-0.
From the opening whistle against Sweden, Tunisia’s defense was surprisingly shaky. Sweden’s star forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres ran through Tunisia’s backline in the first half almost at will, with Tunisia especially struggling in transitional defending.
For the third Swedish goal, Tunisia made the poor decision to casually play out of the back and were punished by an elite forward in Gyökeres.
From there it only got worse as Sweden poured on two more. In the end, the worst defensive effort (other than tiny Curaçao against Germany) came from the team who believed its defense could carry it to knockout wins.
But perhaps the biggest story of Tunisia’s defense was head coach Sabri Lamouchi’s decision to start Mouhib Chamakh in goal over veteran Aymen Dahmen. Chamakh, 24, was making just his fourth appearance while Dahmen, 30, has plenty of big game experience for Tunisia – including being the team’s best player in a 0-0 draw against Denmark at the 2022 World Cup.
That decision from Lamouchi was likely a significant blunder that likely cost Tunisia a result. Chamakh looked lost in the moment, and Sweden’s first two goals were savable. The decision is likely to come under significant scrutiny in the coming days.
3. Ayari’s Emotional Moment
(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Sweden’s first goal and last goals came from Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yasin Ayari. Born in Stockholm, Ayari’s father is from Tunisia and his mother is from Morocco. Ayari is eligible for three nations but chose to represent the country of his birth. He was a veteran of Sweden’s youth teams and made his senior team debut in 2023.
But playing against the country where his father was born was clearly emotional for Ayari. Tunisia’s federation recruited him to switch his national team affiliation and Ayari initially wanted to switch but he ultimately declined on the suggestion of his Tunisian father.
“My son wanted to play for Tunisia, but I asked him to represent Sweden instead, as it is the country that welcomed and developed him,” Ayari’s father Azzouz said last May. “It was his duty to give something back.”
But Ayari declined to enthusiastically celebrate his World Cup goals, likely out of respect he still has for Tunisia.
4. What’s Next For Both Teams
Sweden now sits atop Group F and will now travel north to face a Netherlands team that hopes to contend in this tournament. The teams have not met since 2017 when the Dutch prevailed 2-0, but heading into this game, Sweden now has momentum.
The Netherlands defense will have to find a way to contain a Swedish team that has two elite forwards who are both in-form and playing with great chemistry.
Sweden vs Tunisia Extended Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™
It is hard to see Sweden not making the knockouts. With eight out of 14 third place teams qualifying for the next stage, one win is likely enough when also combined with positive goal differential.
Tunisia is not out of it. One win could change anything. But this game was a massive setback as it was Tunisia’s best chances at securing a needed win. Japan and the Netherlands are much more difficult tasks.
Even more than that, Tunisia must now spend most of the coming week trying to figure out why its stellar defense was so out of synch, and so vulnerable in its World Cup opener. That is not where the team wanted to be at this point.
