Sweden face Tunisia in World Cup opener as Gyökeres leads Scandinavian return after six-year absence

Sweden return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 2018 when they face Tunisia in a Group F opener on Sunday, June 14 at Houston Stadium, Houston, Texas. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Swedes earned their place in the 2026 tournament the hard way, navigating the UEFA playoff route with victories over both Ukraine and Poland after missing out on Qatar entirely. Their form heading into the tournament has been unconvincing, however — a 3-1 defeat to Norway and a 2-2 draw with Greece in recent friendlies have raised questions about their readiness.

Tunisia arrive as one of the continent’s most dependable World Cup sides, making their sixth appearance since 1998. The Eagles of Carthage were dominant in CAF qualifying, winning nine of their ten Group H matches, drawing the other, and finishing 13 points clear of the field with a remarkable +22 goal differential. Their pre-tournament form took a hit with a 5-0 loss to Belgium in a friendly on June 6, though that result is unlikely to overshadow the quality of their qualification campaign.

Sweden’s attacking threat centres on Viktor Gyökeres of Arsenal and Alexander Isak of Liverpool, two of the most in-form strikers in European football over the past season. Gustaf Nilsson and Anthony Elanga provide further options in attack, giving Sweden genuine depth in the final third.

For Tunisia, Hazem Mastouri and Firas Chaouat are among the attacking options likely to trouble a Swedish defence that has shown vulnerability in recent outings.

Despite Sweden’s slight edge in the market, the match sets up as a competitive encounter. Tunisia’s qualification record underlines that they are no makeweight at this level, and their organised defensive structure has historically made them difficult to break down on the World Cup stage. Sweden, meanwhile, reached the quarter-finals in 2018 and will be eager to prove their six-year absence has not dulled their ambitions.

A tight, low-scoring contest appears the most likely outcome given both sides’ defensive solidity and the pressure that comes with a tournament opener.