Sweden v Tunisia: World Cup 2026

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.

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.

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.

Ayari has two, and they're both belters.

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.

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.

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.

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.â€

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.

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.

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.â€

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.

Calamity at the back for Tunisia and Isak hands one on a plate for Gyokeres.

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.

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.

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.