Sweden's Ayari Scores Twice Against 'Father's Country' to Lead Emphatic Win

Although he scored a fantastic goal in his very first match at the World Cup—the "dream stage" for football players—22-year-old Swedish national team midfielder Yasin Ayari did not show much joy.

This was because the opposing country is the birthplace of his father.

Ayari played the full match on Monday, June 15 (KST) in the first match of Group F in the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage against Tunisia at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico, scoring both the first and last goals for his team to lead them to an emphatic 5-1 victory.

While the starting strike duo of Alexander Isak (Liverpool) and Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), both active in the English Premier League (EPL), also stole the spotlight with one goal and two assists, and one goal and one assist respectively, it was the early opening goal scored by Ayari—who also plays in the EPL for Brighton & Hove Albion—that allowed Sweden to comfortably control the match.

In the seventh minute of the first half, during a Swedish attack, the opposing goalkeeper rushed out but failed to clear the ball properly. Gyökeres shot with his right foot toward the empty net, but a defender cleared it away.

Ayari then gathered the loose ball and fired a right-footed shot from just outside the penalty arc, sending it straight into the Tunisian net.

His teammates on the Swedish national team, returning to the World Cup stage for the first time in eight years, rushed to Ayari to celebrate passionately.

However, Ayari chose to keep a straight face, merely raising both hands slightly instead of celebrating.

He then returned to his position and performed a prostration, touching his forehead and nose to the ground in an Islamic gesture of prayer.

In the 51st minute of the second half, during stoppage time, Ayari sealed the emphatic victory by scoring the team's fifth goal with a right-footed, mid-range shot from the right side of the penalty arc, bookending the match.

This time, he ran toward the Swedish fans, but again refrained from showing excessive emotion.

Ayari was born in 2003 to a Tunisian father and a Moroccan mother.

He grew up in Sweden, where he developed his football career.

He played for the Swedish club AIK before transferring to Brighton in 2023 on a four-year contract.

He subsequently spent loan spells at English Championship sides Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City before returning to Brighton.

Ayari was also selected for Sweden's youth national teams.

Holding multiple citizenships, Ayari was also eligible to play for the national teams of Tunisia and Morocco.

In fact, ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Tunisia offered to call Ayari up to their national team.

Ayari's father, Azouz Ayari, said in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet last month, "My son wanted to play for the Tunisian national team, but I advised him to represent Sweden." He added, "Sweden is the country that welcomed him and helped him grow. It was only natural for him to give back to it."

Ultimately, after discussing various possibilities with his father, Ayari chose Sweden and made his senior international debut for the country in 2023.

He said, "I was born in Sweden, I consider myself Swedish, and I want to represent Sweden."

Tunisia has reached the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time and the seventh time overall.

They have never advanced past the group stage.

Ahead of the clash with Sweden, Tunisia's head coach Sabri Lamouchi commented on Ayari's decision, saying, "I know him and his brother. He made his own choice, and I respect his decision."

Ayari's younger brother, Taha, born in 2005, also plays as a winger for AIK and has been called up to Sweden's youth national teams.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.