World Cup 2026: Carthage Eagles sink against Sweden (5-1)

Tunisia endured a nightmare start to the 2026 World Cup. Facing Sweden in Group F in Monterrey, Sabri Lamouchi's men suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat, already putting their hopes of reaching the round of 16 in jeopardy.

The Scandinavians quickly took control thanks to Yasin Ayari, who opened the scoring in just the 7th minute. The midfielder, born to Tunisian parents but a Swedish international, was in inspired form throughout. Alexander Isak then doubled the lead at the half-hour mark, capitalizing on Tunisia's defensive lapses.

A Tunisian defense in deep trouble

Despite Omar Rekik pulling one back just before the break (43'), the Carthage Eagles never managed to reverse the trend. Individual errors multiplied after the restart, allowing Viktor Gyökeres and then Mattias Svanberg to further extend Sweden's advantage. In stoppage time, Ayari struck again to complete his brace and definitively seal the fate of the match.

Bottom of Group F after the draw between Japan and the Netherlands (2-2), Tunisia is already feeling the pressure. To keep their World Cup adventure alive, they will need to pull off a major upset in their upcoming clashes against Japan and the Netherlands.

Nouya M'toama

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Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.