Sweden Thrashes Tunisia 5-1 to Lead Group as Isak and Gyökeres Shine

Sweden, which struggled to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has taken the lead in the "Group of Death" by overpowering African contender Tunisia with a fierce attack.

The Swedish national football team, led by manager Graham Potter, thrashed Tunisia 5-1 on June 15 (KST) in their first Group F match of the tournament at Monterrey Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, thanks to the stellar performances of English Premier League (EPL) stars Alexander Isak (Liverpool) and Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal).

Isak added two assists to his winning goal, while Gyökeres recorded one goal and one assist.

Yasin Ayari, who plays for EPL side Brighton & Hove Albion, also scored twice, including the opening goal, contributing significantly to Sweden's victory.

With this win, Sweden surpassed Japan and the Netherlands—who drew 2-2 earlier in the day at Dallas Stadium in Texas, USA—to take first place in the group stage.

Group F is considered the "Group of Death" in this tournament.

Sweden will play its second match against the Netherlands on June 21 at Houston Stadium in the United States, while Tunisia will face Japan on the same day at Monterrey Stadium.

Sweden has qualified for the World Cup finals for the 13th time overall and for the first time in eight years since the 2018 tournament in Russia. Their best-ever finish was runner-up at the 1958 tournament, which they hosted.

After suffering the humiliation of finishing bottom of their group in the European qualifiers for this tournament, Sweden managed to enter the European playoffs thanks to their UEFA Nations League performance. They narrowly secured their ticket to North America by defeating Ukraine and Poland in succession.

Tunisia, led by manager Sabri Lamouchi, has reached the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time and the seventh time overall.

They have never advanced past the group stage.

Tunisia had displayed a "rock-solid defense," keeping clean sheets in all 10 matches (9 wins, 1 draw) of the second round of African qualifiers while scoring 22 goals, but they were no match for Sweden's formidable firepower.

Sweden seized the initiative in the 7th minute of the first half.

During a Swedish attack, the Tunisian goalkeeper rushed out but failed to clear the ball properly. Gyökeres shot toward the empty net with his right foot, but a defender cleared it away.

Ayari then gathered the loose ball and, positioned in front of the penalty arc, unleashed a right-footed shot that flew straight into the Tunisian net.

Born in 2003 to a Tunisian father and a Moroccan mother, the midfielder Ayari chose to represent Sweden, where he was born and raised. In his World Cup debut, he ended up driving a dagger into his father's homeland.

Perhaps because of this, Ayari refrained from any excessive celebration.

Sweden pulled further ahead in the 30th minute.

During a Swedish counterattack, Isak received a pass from Gyökeres on the left side near the halfway line, drove forward alone, and slotted a right-footed shot into the corner of the net from the left side of the penalty arc.

Tunisia did not back down easily.

In the 43rd minute, Omar Rekik slightly redirected a cross from Hannibal Mejbri from the right flank with his head on the right side of the goal, finding the back of the Swedish net.

It was Tunisia's only shot on target in the first half.

After finishing the first half with their lead cut to 2-1, Sweden capitalized on a critical mistake by their opponents in the 14th minute of the second half to pull away once again.

When Ellyes Skhiri hesitated after receiving the ball from the goalkeeper, Isak quickly rushed in to steal it. Winning the physical battle, Isak slipped the ball to the right side of the penalty area, where Gyökeres rushed in to finish with a clinical right-footed shot.

Sweden kept up their offensive pressure, bringing on Lucas Bergvall as well when defender Gabriel Gudmundsson was substituted off due to injury for Elliot Stroud in the 20th minute of the second half.

Sweden sealed the victory in the 39th minute of the second half when Mattias Svanberg, immediately after coming on as a substitute for Jesper Karlström, scored an additional goal.

From a free kick opportunity on the right, Svanberg found the back of the net with a right-footed shot from directly in front of the goal. Although it was initially ruled offside, the referee allowed the goal after communicating with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

At the moment of the free kick, Svanberg was indeed in an offside position.

However, before the ball reached Svanberg, it had brushed off Isak's right foot, at which point Svanberg was in an onside position.

Isak was credited with an assist.

In the 51st minute of the second half during stoppage time, Ayari sealed the massive victory with a long-range, right-footed strike from the right side of the penalty arc, bookending the match with the opening and closing goals.

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