Sweden opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a convincing 5-1 win over Tunisia on Sunday, going to the top of Group F with a performance that underscored why several analysts listed them among the tournament’s dark horses. Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Yasin Ayari with two goals, and Mattias Svanberg were on the scoresheet for a Swedish side that dominated almost from kick-off.

Sweden led 2-1 at half-time after Tunisia scored through Omar Rekik in the 43rd minute to briefly cut the deficit. The second half belonged entirely to Sweden. Isak added a third shortly after the restart. Svanberg then became the answer to an obscure trivia question: his goal, scored 13 seconds after coming on as a substitute, is the fastest ever scored by a replacement player in World Cup history.

Gyokeres, whose goals drove Sweden through qualifying, showed why he has been one of Europe’s most in-demand strikers over the past two seasons. Ayari, who plays his club football in England, was the revelation of the match — his brace announced him to a global audience that may not have been familiar with his club form. The final scoreline of 5-1 puts Sweden clear at the top of Group F, two points ahead of the Netherlands and Japan, who drew 2-2 earlier in the day.

Sweden’s return to the World Cup after their absence in 2022 has been one of the storylines of the tournament’s opening days. The team missed out on qualification for the Qatar tournament and used the years since to rebuild around a new generation of players. Several members of this squad were not part of the senior set-up three years ago and have developed rapidly under the current coaching staff.

Tunisia struggled to impose themselves after their equaliser. Their defensive shape, which had held Sweden in check for parts of the first half, broke apart after the interval as Sweden’s forward line found more space and the game opened up. Tunisia’s best periods came from transitions, but their finishing was not sharp enough to threaten Sweden’s lead.

The match was played in Monterrey, Mexico, one of three host nations for the 2026 tournament alongside the United States and Canada. Attendance was strong, with a vocal contingent of Swedish supporters and a significant Tunisian diaspora community in the crowd. The atmosphere was described by commentators as one of the louder of the tournament’s first full week.

Sweden’s next Group F fixture will see them face either Japan or the Netherlands, with the group’s direction now largely set by their emphatic opening result. ESPN noted that Svanberg’s record-breaking substitute goal was the match’s most statistically notable moment, though Ayari’s brace was arguably the better story of the evening from a Swedish perspective.