Summary
Thank you for joining me for Sweden’s romp. I’ll leave you with Jonathan Wilson’s match report from Monterrey and see you back on these pages on Wednesday.
Tunisia remain in Monterrey for their second match, which is against Japan. Sweden travel to Houston to take on the Netherlands.
To reinforce Tunisia’s struggles, that is now three consecutive defeats and just one win from their past eight.
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That win gives Sweden a fighting chance of at least qualifying for the knockout phase as one of the best third-place sides. Tougher tests await with Japan and the Netherlands to come.
Tunisia are not going to trouble the scorers in the knockout rounds. Hopefully they show a bit more willing in their final two games of the tournament.
Graham Potter is delighted, responding in West Midlands-accented English to questions asked in rapid-fire Swedish.
Fantastic, great performance, five goals, solid, could have scored more.
Sabri Lamouchi has just given a terse interview in the flash zone, blaming individual mistakes for the defeat. Hopefully he also looks a little closer to home when reviewing how his side failed to offer much of note during what, on paper, was his side’s most favourable fixture of the group stage.
It didn’t matter much during this contest, but the VAR intervention (snicko and all) to allow Sweden’s fourth goal will be a talking point. What constitutes an attacking phase? And what technology is sufficient to overturn the onfield ruling?
Tunisia were woeful. Only Hannibal Mejbri offered any spark but it never looked like the Eagles of Carthage had any confidence in their game plan, never attempting to chase the game despite spending almost its entirety behind. They somehow found the back of the net just before half-time to reduce the deficit to one, but by the final whistle they were lucky to finish second.
Job done for the Swedes, for whom star names Isak and Gyokeres both found the scoresheet, but the headlines will be stolen by another Premier League forward, Brighton’s Yasin Ayari.
Born in Sweden to parents from Tunisia and Morocco, Ayari could have lined up for the opposition tonight but instead opened the scoring early with a sweetly struck finish, then capped a dominant performance with a scorching drive.
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Full-time: Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Sweden are up and running with a comprehensive victory. Tunisia were awful.
The Brighton man bookends the scoring with a rasping right-footed drive from the edge of the box into the side-netting after another poor Tunisia turnover.
GOAL! Sweden 5-1 Tunisia (Ayari, 90+6)
Ayari has two, and they’re both belters.
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90+4 mins: Meanwhile, confirmation of the process for the fourth goal is being displayed – and cricket fans will love this – it involves snicko confirming Isak got an outside edge to the free-kick, deflecting it into the corridor of uncertainty, where Svanberg could sweep the ball over the boundary-slash-goalline. Sorry, that metaphor got very Partridge very quickly.
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90+3 mins: Tunisia loft over a hopeful free-kick from the right that’s headed clear. Achouri then smashes a hell of a strike from long range that Nordfelt has to parry clear from a standing start.
90+2 mins: Sweden are happy to just wind this one down. They have done their job effectively tonight.
90 mins: Elanga and Svensson come on for Isak and Bernhardsson. They have six minutes of stoppage time to press their claims for a starting place.
89 mins: Bergvall now makes an absolute mess of another gilt edged chance laid on by Gyokeres.
88 mins: Isak should make it five but he can’t beat Chamakh from Gyokeres’ pullback.
87 mins: That goal arrived just 18 seconds after the Wolfsburg midfielder enter the field of play, but wasn’t confirmed until many minutes later.
GOAL! Sweden 4-1 Tunisia (Svanberg, 86)
Sweden are now protesting that the goal should stand because Svanberg returned to an onside position after an Isak flick sent the incident into a second phase of play. VAR takes its time. The referee struggles to hear what’s happening. Eventually he communicates the news but Sweden don’t understand it initially and there’s a comical delay before Svanberg can celebrate.
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84 mins: And with his first touch of the ball Svanberg sweeps the ball in the back of the net as a free-kick from the right is allowed to bounce in the Tunisian box! But he was miles offside as the free-kick was delivered.
83 mins: Couple more Tunisian subs with Khedira and Ben Slimane making way for Gharbi and Chaouat. While for Sweden Karlstrom makes way for Svanberg.
82 mins: “Watching Sweden today and reflecting on Viktor Gyökeres’s performance, quite like a performance by Darwin Nuñez at Liverpool,” emails Chris Amirault. “I always hear “Chaos Space Marine” by Black Country, New Road — all things I like very much.”
80 mins: Tunisia have some space to break into but as soon as they face a barrier, on the left, they retreat to Hannibal, who wastes the moment with a hopeless lofted pass through to Nordfeldt.
79 mins: Isak should deliver better from the left but his cross is weak. He doesn’t look fully fit, and hasn’t most of the half, but he remains in the fray.
77 mins: Sweden are happy to lump it up to the big lad (Gyokeres). With a little more purpose they could bolster their goal difference here.
76 mins: Nothing comes of the set piece and Tunisia get to settle things down with a free-kick. They did not start with many ideas but the Eagles of Carthage have run out of any skerrick of ambition. Hannibal drops into the left-back position to try to kickstart something but it’s all so slow and lacking in quality.
75 mins: Lovely from Sweden. Firstly there’s some superb fullback play on the right to rob the jinking Tounekti, then they calmly work the ball through the lines from right to left for the bullocking Stroud to earn a corner on the left.
73 mins: Sweden easily deal with a series of hopeful balls forward from Tunisia. Hannibal urges his team on after winning a second ball. He has been offered limited support.
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72 mins: Graham Potter looks relaxed in the dugout. Sabri Lamouchi cuts a more frustrated figure in his technical area.
71 mins: Three substitutions for Tunisia. On come Mahmoud, Achouri, and Tounekti, for Saad, Skhiri, and Valery.
69 mins: Three-quarter time in Monterrey, time for a bevvy. Sweden are strolling towards three points. No idea what Tunisia are trying to accomplish.
67 mins: Sweden do look dangerous on the counter with the Isak-Gyokeres partnership. Time and again the latter has carried possession, waiting to feed his faster teammate in the final third. On this occasion Isak jinks inside after accepting the pass but his shot is charged down.
65 mins: Tunisia are still not chasing the game. With Japan and the Netherlands still to come, you’d think they’d want something out of this evening.
63 mins: A couple of Swedes look to be carrying knocks. Graham Potter need take no risks, so off comes a limping Gudmundsson, replaced by Elliot Stroud. While Lucas Bergvall replaces Nygren.
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62 mins: Maybe time for neutrals to return to what Dan Allari informs me is the Tequila Bunker. “Scott Ostler, formerly from the San Francisco Chronicle, named this the “Tequila Bunker” syndrome. High priced tickets going to vip refreshment areas at the interval and/or not being fully invested in the game and not returning right away or at all. A phenomenon with the Golden State Warriors and the SF 49ers. Interesting enough, not a problem with the Valkyries of the WBNA.”
Tunisia try to play out from the back. Skihiri shows absolutely no awareness or close control as he’s robbed easily by Isak – talk about taking candy from a baby. The Liverpool striker then gives off the simple assist to Gyokeres who approaches Chamakh and finishes the one-on-one with aplomb.
GOAL! Sweden 3-1 Tunisia (Gyokeres, 60)
Calamity at the back for Tunisia and Isak hands one on a plate for Gyokeres.
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59 mins: Sweden thump the ball long. Isak turns it into something, but Ayari undoes all the hard work with an overhit cross.
58 mins: Hannibal prompts an attack down the right then switches play crossfield to the left. Sweden are surprisingly passive. Considering how Tunisia play I’d consider putting a man-marker on the Burnley midfielder for the final half hour. He is the only man in red looking to dictate terms.
56 mins: Hannibal delivers into a packed six-yard box but Sweden clear. Hanniblal goes again and this time Sweden head away with purpose. The clearance reaches Gyokeres who can drive from his own half at Tunisia’s defence. He has Isak streaming forward on his left, but the Arsenal man dallies too long, failing to release his strike partner until he’d strayed offside. He should have done better there.
55 mins: Saad wins a corner down the left, chasing down a long throw and earning the deflection off Hien.
54 mins: Sweden win a turnover in midfield, Gyokeres turns and drives forward with purpose but his drive from the edge of the box is blocked.
Khedira is the first player into the Argentinian’s book for a late challenge on Karlstrom.
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52 mins: Sweden concede a clumsy foul about 35m out in a central area. Hannibal takes charge of the situation, marks out a Roberto Carlos-esque run up, and detonates a direct free-kick into the stands.
50 mins: It’s not the smartest tactic as Tunisia pick up the scraps from a second ball on the edge of the box. Hannibal is the man in the right place at the right time and he attempts an audacious Glenn Hoddle/George Best angled lob that Nordfeldt adjusts to claim.
49 mins: Sweden are happy to sit back and allow Tunisia some early possession. They are sitting in a mid block, not looking to jump until the ball reaches the final third.
47 mins: As we’ve seen often already this World Cup, there are visible gaps in the block of seats directly opposite the broadcast camera following an interval. FIFA have so far blamed this on ticketed fans watching from the concourse. Whatever the reason it looks rubbish.
46 mins: No changes at the break.
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The teams are on their way back out for the second-half. Sweden’s players presumably wondering how they managed to concede a goal to a team registering just 0.09 xG.
While I make a brew, enjoy some half-time reading on England’s love of Jude Bellingham.
Jordan Henderson says Jude Bellingham is loved by his teammates and will be England’s X-factor at the World Cup.
“I’m sure he will have a big impact for us in this tournament,” Henderson said. “I can remember five years ago I gave him his first cap, it was away at Middlesbrough. How much he’s grown, as a player and as a person since then, is incredible really. I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training, and the way he was.
Half-time: Sweden 2-1 Tunisia
Sweden are in the ascendancy at the break but that late goal from an otherwise toothless Tunisia has just put the Europeans on notice.
45+2 mins: Free-kick on the right to Sweden, Ayari to take it, but he floats it tamely into the gloves of Chamakh. Tunisia tear forward on the counter, chasing the keeper’s punt downfield and set up camp on the edge of the Sweden box. The Swedes defend it well.
45 mins: Four minutes of added time to be played at the end of the half.
44 mins: Sweden try to respond with a long throw of their own on the right, but it’s pulled back for a lesser-spotted foul throw.
Sweden dealt with the long throw deep on the right but nobody closed down Hannibal as he accepted the clearing header, giving him time to pick his cross and find the head of Omar Rekik who glances superbly into the far corner.
GOAL! Sweden 2-1 Tunisia (Rekik, 43)
Out of nowhere, Tunisia are back in this with a glancing header.
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40 mins: Hannibal and Nygren have a set-to on halfway. The Tunisian is clearly frustrated with the evening so far and the Swede gave him the kind of nudge after the tackle that can provoke a response.
39 mins: Tunisia win a turnover in midfield but Khedira looks up, sees nothing on, feeds a square ball to his right and his teammates circulate along the defence and out through the left before lumping a harmless punt forward. Hard to know what they’re trying to accomplish at the moment.
38 mins: It is all Sweden in Monterrey. Tunisia are as poor as Jonathan Wilson warned us.
36 mins: Chamakh does well to escape the melee and punch the ball out of the danger zone. There’s a bit of pinball thereafter but Tunisia survive and VAR choses not to intervene.
35 mins: Bernhardsson earns his side another corner on the right. Cue mayhem in the six-yard box.
33 mins: “The fact that I m sitting here in my living room watching Sweden in the world cup is nuts! We have been so absurdly bad the last couple of years,” emails Vincent Simmons. “Saw Swedish tv’s interview with Ayari. Very intense fellow! Claims to always watch his games back 3-4 times afterwards to see what he could have done better. Also claims to have not been pleased with any of his performances for several years. I hope for his sake he can be pleased with this one.”
32 mins: Lindelof heads the first corner of the night over the bar. That was a familiar chaotic penalty area scene with the referee struggling to establish who was holding or blocking in the build-up.
31 mins: Replays show Chamakh should have done better. It was one of those where he almost dived too far and the ball bobbled over his gloves. Still, excellent counterattack and terrific individual skill from Isak. The value of top quality centre forwards in major tournaments.
The Swedes have been the proactive side in the opening half but they allow Tunisia a long spell of possession then smash them on the break. The ball is cleared to Gyokeres who plays the hold-up role to perfection, controlling on his chest with his back to goal then feeding the ball to Isak on halfway on the left. The Liverpool striker then tears off with only one red shirt near him. He could not care less, jinking inside and curling a low finish beyond Chamakh.
GOAL! Sweden 2-0 Tunisia (Isak, 30)
Brilliant from Alexander Isak. Sweden double their lead.
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27 mins: Saad picks up the scraps from a hopeful ball forward and Tunisia can build in midfield as Sweden are caught out of shape. There’s no impetus though and a promising situation ends with Hannibal dumping a hopeful cross into the box that is headed clear.
25 mins: Tunisia get some rare controlled possession after the break with Hannibal desperate to get on the ball, dropping back to collect it off his back four, then showing again before lofting a pass in the channel for Abdi to chase – but it’s overhit.
23 mins: This match is Sweden’s to lose. Tunisia are offering precious little, despite going behind early. The pattern of the match is the ball being stroked at walking pace along the Swedish back three until one edge decides to try and find a running split striker ahead of them in the channel. There is then a flurry of second-ball activity, but not a great deal of action to report.
22 mins: To a chorus of boos in Monterrey it’s time for a hydration break.
20 mins: Hannibal does spark one such counter, but Abdi can’t keep the ball in on the left touchline.
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19 mins: Tunisia are not asserting themselves in pursuit of an equaliser, happy to hang back and play on the counter.
17 mins: Saad again finds room between the lines for Tunisia, and for the second time is given the opportunity to run at the retreating Swedish defence. On this occasion he elects to shoot, but as we’ve seen time and again in these opening matches his shot is way too high. Are the balls too round again?
16 mins: That was Sweden’s earliest World Cup goal since Martin Dahlin in 1994. North America is a happy hunting ground for the Swedes.
15 mins: Sweden are happy to lower the tempo to walking pace, baiting Tunisia onto them, drawing them out of their defensive structure.
13 mins: Good save from Nordfelt after Saad broke through the middle and fed Ben Slimane on his left shoulder. The finish was too close to the Swedish keeper – and wouldn’t have counted anyway because he had needlessly drifted offside.
12 mins: Sweden do a good job of taking the sting out of the game, recycling play from right to left, using their back three to shift the direction of their attacks. The two split strikers have both been instructed to retain possession where possible.
10 mins: Both teams are trying to stamp their mark in midfield, exchanging free-kicks around halfway. The Argentinian referee is keeping his cards in his pocket for the time being.
8 mins: That was a very good finish from the 22 year old Brighton midfielder. And good for the spectacle you’d expect, forcing Tunisia to relinquish thoughts of a scoreless draw.
Tunisia are happy to sit in their 5-3-2 Christmas tree formation out of possession and let Sweden stroke the ball around innocuous areas. With no pressure on the ball carrier in defence Isak can time his run in behind and meet the pass over the top simultaneously with the onrushing Chamakh. The rebound falls to Gyokeres, whose shot is blocked. The second rebound bounces in Ayari’s direction and he shows technical brilliance to slam home the opening goal.
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GOAL! Sweden 1-0 Tunisia (Ayari, 7)
Sweden get the early goal they craved!
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5 mins: Tunisia get down the right again and fashion a cross that Saad can’t do anything with. Sweden go briskly on the counter with Gyokeres running from halfway on the left, unopposed, towards the corner of the penalty area, before lashing a shot over the bar.
3 mins: Valery is a little fortunate to escape a booking after catching Gudmundsson late. Tunisia have made a couple of early raids down their right, keeping Sweden on their toes defensively.
2 mins: This is one of the few grounds at the finals where the stands abut the pitch on all four sides. It feels like watching a major European club match more than a typical major tournament.
1 min: Tunisia just belt the ball into touch from the kick-off like a rugby place kick. Not sure that’s a good omen for a night of liquid football.
Kick-off!
We’re under way in Monterrey…
There is lightning in the air around Estadio Monterrey, will we see an electric match? Honestly, I’d just settle for 90 minutes without a safety delay.
Nice to see Tunisia repping Kappa during this World Cup. They are the only team whose kit is supplied by the Italian sportswear brand at the finals.
The two teams are out on the Estadio Monterrey turf. Time for some anthems then we’ll be under way to bring this busy matchday to its conclusion.
The drone shots of this venue are stunning. The stadium design is glorious, the surrounding mountains are beautiful. Proper World Cup arena.
Then inside, the vibrant yellow Swedish shirts provide glimpses of the presence of one of the most welcome travelling supports in international football.
Conditions: It has been stinking hot in Guadalupe today. At kick-off the temperature has dropped to a manageable 29C, but 70% humidity. There is the risk of an evening thunderstorm as the imposing mountains around the venue trap leaden clouds.
Tonight’s referee is Yael Falcón from Argentina.
Sweden will be in their traditional yellow with blue trim this evening. Tunisia are wearing their change strip of all red with white accents.
Neutrals, who are you rooting for today? “Since Swede is a common English term for a rutabaga, how can you not root for Sweden?” answers Joe Pearson.
I’ll set them up, you knock them home, Joe.
Tunisia became the first African nation ever to win a match at the World Cup when they beat Mexico 3-1 in 1978. That was on debut, and they’ve made five further appearances on the game’s greatest stage, with 2026 representing a third successful qualification in a row.
Jonathan Wilson really does not enjoy watching them play.
And what about Tunisia? Ahmed Adala has the scoop.
Tunisia completed their qualification campaign without conceding once in 10 matches – a record shared with Côte d’Ivoire in Africa – but the faces in the dugout were constantly changing. Three different coaches led the team on the road to this World Cup: Jalel Kadri, Montasser Louhichi and Sami Trabelsi. Kadri, now managing Al-Hazem in Saudi Arabia, was Tunisia’s head coach during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Trabelsi was later replaced by the current manager, Sabri Lamouchi, shortly after Tunisia were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Tunisia’s first training camp under Lamouchi, which included two friendly matches, took place in March. His first squad selection highlighted a major shift. The message was clear: Tunisia would rebuild around young players. Another decision warmly welcomed by supporters came during Lamouchi’s first press conference in February: “For the 2026 World Cup, there will only be three goalkeepers.” It is worth remembering that Tunisia’s decision to take four goalkeepers to Qatar had sparked significant controversy. This time, Lamouchi kept his promise.
Sweden’s coach is Graham Potter, a man treated as a demigod in Scandinavia yet regarded with derision in his homeland. Jacob Steinberg has more.
The Englishman has found a deep connection with his adopted country. He was not an outsider when he took the Sweden job, having made his name during a seven-year spell with Östersund, carrying them out of the fourth tier and into the Europa League.
“I feel very Swedish when I’m working,” he says. “I look a bit Swedish. Two of my kids were born in Sweden.” Potter feels there is a deeper meaning to international football. “You’re aware with the national team that you’re doing something for more than you. It’s a bigger thing. You can feel the intensity. That’s what’s beautiful about it.”
Need to bone up on the Swedes? Samuel Parts has you covered.
Under Graham Potter’s leadership the focus shifted to more traditional values associated with the Swedish national team with a stubborn defence coupled with effective counterattacks. Having initially said he prefers a back four he set up with a 5-3-2 in the playoffs, with a focus on keeping things quiet at the back.
Injury wise they are without captain Dejan Kulusevski, whose influence on this team cannot be overstated. They will miss him in North America. There are also huge question marks over Alexander Isak’s form and fitness, although he did score in a worryingly one-sided 3-1 defeat against Norway on 1 June after coming on as a substitute.
Do we need to be worried about South America? Brazil were poor, Paraguay were awful, and Ecuador were game but still lost. Extended, you could even include Bolivia’s failure to beat Iraq to qualify through the Inter-confederation playoff route.
Manchester United’s Amad Diallo has just stunned Ecuador at the death of a feisty encounter.
This evening’s match is taking place at the impressive Estadio BBVA, known for the duration of the World Cup as Monterrey Stadium. The 53,000 capacity arena is nicknamed the Steel Giant, and was opened in 2015.
It is famed for its view of Cerro de la Silla, a nearby mountain with a highest peak of almost 6,000 feet. The steep stands and proximity of seating to the pitch will help the atmosphere.
Tunisia XI
Tunisia go in with a 4-2-3-1, looking to Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri to pull the strings.
1 Chamakh, 20 Valery, 3 Talbi, 4 Rekik, 21 Ben Hmida; 13 Khedira, 17 Skhiri; 10 Mejbri, 2 Abdi, 25 Ben Slimane; 8 Saad.
Sweden XI
Graham Potter is sticking with his 5-2-3 approach in a line-up dominated by Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. In a tournament so far lacking in decisive goalscorers it should be to Sweden’s advantage they have two of the finest in the game in their ranks.
23 Nordfeldt, 21 Bernhardsson, 2 Lagerbielke, 4 Hien, 3 Lindelof, 5 Gudmundsson; 18 Ayari, 16 Karlstrom; 10 Nygren, 9 Isak; 17 Gyokeres.
Missed anything over the opening few days? I wouldn’t blame you if you have. Catch up on all the news and analysis with Max and the gang on the latest World Cup Daily.
“I’ve really enjoyed the World Cup so far,” enthuses Harry Sachar. “Plenty of entertainment and quality on view. I reckon the new rules about time-wasting have worked a treat. The cherry on top being the Socceroos wonderful win against Türkiye yesterday. Currently watching Ecuador v Côte d’Ivoire which has been yet another entertaining match.”
As usual, I agree with you Harry. The pace of play has surprised me, helped by the officiating, and also by the neat contrast in styles in many matches. The less aesthetically pleasing matches (I’[m looking at you Brazil and Morocco) have largely come from teams cancelling each other out. Hopefully some of the counterattacking approaches prevail into the knockouts to continue that free-flowing feel.
How have these early matches affected your Bracketology? Germany up, Brazil down?
The opening game of the matchday saw Germany demolish debutants Curacao 7-1 in Houston.
Germany will surely reach the knockouts this time and could have made absolutely certain by adding several more. Nagelsmann will be pleased that threats emanated from all around the pitch, half a dozen scorers bearing testament to that, but it should go without saying that more accurate tests of strength will have to be navigated over the next month. Kai Havertz, rounding things off neatly with his second goal, will hope to be similarly efficient later on.
Barney Ronay was in Dallas to enjoy the opening match of Group F that ended in a 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan.
The World Cup continued to produce the unexpected in Arlington. On a throbbingly hot afternoon in the low flat plains outside Dallas the Netherlands and Japan played out an episodically thrilling opening Group F game, Daichi Kamada scoring an 88th-minute equaliser to make it 2-2 just as the Dutch looked like taking an early hold on one of the tougher groups.
There has been so much talk of tired players, format failure and empty seats (the stadium was full here), talk so feverishly committed you wondered at times if it was necessary to play the games at all. But it does feel as though something else has been taking place in the opening games. Maybe – whisper it – the World Cup is actually good.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of match 12 of the 2026 World Cup between Sweden and Tunisia. Kick-off in this Group F clash at Estadio Monterrey is 8pm local time (10pm EDT/3am BST/12pm AEST).
This shapes as a must-win contest for both teams following the earlier 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan that demonstrated the qualities of the group heavyweights. However, recent form suggests this clash will not reach similar technical heights.
Sweden didn’t win a match between June 2025 and March 2026 as they laboured to the finals via the playoff route. Since victories over Ukraine and Poland they have gone another two matches without success.
Tunisia qualified with ease from a very kind CAF group phase but have won just one of their past seven outings. That includes three consecutive matches without scoring, culminating in a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium in their final warm-up.
I’ll be back shortly with team news and a round-up of all the matchday action so far. In the meantime you can keep an eye on Ivory Coast v Ecuador and email any thoughts about the tournament so far to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
