Sweden defeats Tunisia 5-1 at World Cup, Ayari honors father's homeland by skipping celebration

Sweden opened the FIFA World Cup with a 5‑1 victory over Tunisia. Goals came from Brighton forward Yasin Ayari (two), Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres, Liverpool forward Alexander Isak and Wolfsburg midfielder Mattias Svanberg. Ayari, born in Sweden to a Tunisian‑Moroccan father, chose not to celebrate his first goal out of respect for his heritage, becoming the youngest Swedish scorer at a World Cup since 1990. He later celebrated the fifth Swedish goal. Coach Graham Potter praised the attacking trio, noting the team’s “perfect execution” and composure.

The win marked Sweden’s dominant start after a difficult qualifying campaign, while Tunisia, ranked 56th by FIFA, struggled to respond. Both Ayari’s background and the prolific scoring highlighted the multicultural makeup of the Swedish squad and set an upbeat tone for their tournament hopes.