The Goal.com Winners & Losers in Sweden v Tunisia

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·15 June 2026

The Goal.com Winners & Losers in Sweden v Tunisia

Sweden opened their World Cup campaign with a commanding 5–1 victory over Tunisia, with Yasin Ayari scoring twice from distance while Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres combined devastatingly on the counter-attack. Omar Rekik's header briefly gave Tunisia hope at 2–1, but defensive errors and clinical Swedish finishing turned the match into a rout. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Sweden v Tunisia.

Winners

Yasin Ayari (Sweden)

Ayari delivered a match-defining display with two spectacular goals from outside the area. His seventh-minute opener flew into the top corner after a loose ball fell to him on the edge of the box, setting the tone for Sweden's dominant performance in their World Cup opener.

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The midfielder repeated his long-range heroics in stoppage time, striking another right-footed effort into the left corner after Lucas Bergvall's interception sparked a counter-attack. Between goals, Ayari contributed to Sweden's midfield work and took corner kicks, remaining involved throughout the 90 minutes.

By bookending Sweden's scoring, Ayari provided a different dimension beyond the primary attacking pair. His ability to threaten from distance proved decisive in a result that puts Graham Potter's side top of Group F following the Netherlands-Japan draw elsewhere.

Alexander Isak (Sweden)

Isak produced an outstanding all-round attacking performance with a goal and two assists. His 30th-minute strike came after receiving Gyökeres' pass, driving forward from the left, cutting inside, and finishing low into the right corner past Chamakh.

The forward's pressing created Sweden's third goal when he dispossessed Skhiri in Tunisia's half before feeding Gyökeres to finish. He then provided a subtle near-post flick for Svanberg's goal, which was confirmed by VAR after an initial offside flag was overturned.

Isak's combination play with Gyökeres tormented Tunisia's defence throughout, with the pair directly involved in four of Sweden's five goals. His work rate without the ball proved as valuable as his finishing, contributing to a performance that drove Sweden's emphatic victory.

Loser

Ellyes Skhiri (Tunisia)

Tunisia's captain endured a difficult afternoon that included a critical error leading directly to Sweden's third goal. Receiving a pass from goalkeeper Chamakh in his own half, Skhiri was immediately closed down and dispossessed by Isak, who set up Gyökeres to restore Sweden's two-goal advantage.

Beyond the costly mistake, Skhiri struggled to impose himself in central midfield as Tunisia chased the game. He failed to provide adequate protection for the defence during Sweden's counter-attacks and could not establish the control his side needed to threaten consistently.

Substituted in the 72nd minute, Skhiri's departure reflected an ineffective performance as skipper. His error at 59 minutes proved a turning point that effectively ended Tunisia's hopes of building on Omar Rekik's header, which had briefly made it 2–1 before half-time.