Tunisia lost 5-1 to Sweden in their Group F opener, becoming the first Arab team defeated at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tunisia became the first Arab team to lose at the 2026 World Cup after a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their Group F opener in Monterrey.
Yasin Ayari, who was born to parents of Tunisian and Moroccan descent, scored twice for Sweden, opening the scoring in the seventh minute and adding the fifth goal in stoppage time.
Alexander Isak made it 2-0 in the 30th minute before Omar Rekik pulled one back for Tunisia shortly before half-time.
Viktor Gyokeres restored Sweden’s two-goal lead in the 60th minute, and Mattias Svanberg added the fourth in the 86th minute.
The defeat left Tunisia bottom of Group F after the opening round of matches. Sweden moved to three points, while the Netherlands and Japan drew 2-2 earlier in the group.
They became the first Arab side to lose in this edition of the tournament. Qatar drew 1-1 with Switzerland, while Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in their opening matches.
Tunisia will next face Japan before ending the group stage against the Netherlands.