Mattias Svanberg marked his World Cup debut with a goal just seconds after coming on as a substitute for Sweden in a dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia. The match, played as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, saw Graham Potter’s Sweden side assert their dominance early on.
Sweden took the lead in the seventh minute through Yasin Ayari, who notably refrained from celebrating against the nation of his father’s birth, mirroring a similar situation involving Breel Embolo in the previous World Cup. Alexander Isak then doubled Sweden’s advantage in the 30th minute, showcasing a strong link-up play with Viktor Gyökeres on a swift counter-attack. Isak, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, registered his first goal in a major international tournament.
Tunisia briefly responded before halftime with a header from Omar Rekik, following a delivery from Hannibal Mejbri, but Sweden quickly reasserted control in the second half. Gyökeres scored Sweden’s third goal in the 60th minute, assisted by Isak, continuing a productive attacking partnership. The former St. Pauli loanee was crucial in securing Sweden’s place in the tournament, having scored a hat-trick against Poland in the playoff final.
Svanberg’s impact was immediate, finding the net less than 20 seconds after his introduction, though the goal required a VAR check for confirmation. The goal came at a potentially pivotal moment for Svanberg, who is entering the final year of his contract with Wolfsburg, the club recently relegated from the Bundesliga. Reports suggest he is unlikely to remain with the club beyond the current season. Ayari completed the scoring in injury time with a second spectacular strike, celebrating this time around.
Sweden now top their group and face a challenging match against the Netherlands in their next fixture. Tunisia will look to rebound against Japan, a repeat of a group stage encounter from the 2002 World Cup. The comprehensive victory establishes Sweden as early favorites in their qualifying group, with Isak and Gyökeres proving a formidable attacking duo.
