World Cup: Wolfsburg’s Svanberg Nets Early Goal as Sweden Routs Tunisia

Sweden began their World Cup campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia, with Mattias Svanberg making an instant impact on his tournament debut. The Wolfsburg midfielder scored just seconds after coming on as a substitute, helping Graham Potter’s side finish the match in style. Holstein Kiel’s Alexander Bernhardsson also featured before Borussia Dortmund’s Daniel Svensson came on in injury time.

Tunisia lined up with several familiar names in European football. Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Ellyes Skhiri captained the side, Rani Khedira made his competitive debut after being born in Germany, and Elias Saad started up front. Saad’s Augsburg teammate Ismaël Gharbi later appeared for the final 10 minutes.

Sweden made a fast start and took the lead in the seventh minute through Yasin Ayari, who produced a memorable opener. The Brighton midfielder, whose Tunisian father encouraged him to represent Sweden, chose not to celebrate against his country of heritage, similar to past examples of players scoring against their birth nation. Graham Potter’s team then doubled their advantage in the 30th minute when Alexander Isak scored his first goal in a major tournament, finishing a sharp counterattack with Viktor Gyökeres.

Tunisia responded before half-time, cutting the deficit through Omar Rekik, who headed in from Hannibal Mejbri’s delivery. But Sweden regained control in the second half. Isak set up Gyökeres for the third goal after Skhiri was dispossessed in midfield, underlining Sweden’s attacking efficiency and pressing. Gyökeres, who had been crucial in Sweden’s qualifying run, continued to play a key role in their opening win.

Svanberg then added a fourth goal less than 20 seconds after entering the match, although the strike required a lengthy VAR review before being confirmed. The midfielder’s future remains uncertain, with his current club facing relegation and his contract entering its final year. Sweden completed the scoring in stoppage time when Ayari struck again with another excellent finish, this time celebrating the goal.

The result leaves Sweden top of the group ahead of a major second-round meeting with the Netherlands. Tunisia, meanwhile, will next face Japan in a rematch of a 2002 World Cup group-stage encounter.