Sweden's Alexander Bernhardsson, Sweden's Benjamin Nygren (10) and Sweden's Alexander Isak (9) celebrate with Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres (17) after he scored to put Sweden up, 3-1, during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sofia Yaker)
Sweden's Alexander Bernhardsson, Sweden's Benjamin Nygren (10) and Sweden's Alexander Isak (9) celebrate with Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres (17) after he scored to put Sweden up, 3-1, during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sofia Yaker)
Alexander Isak scored once and set up two goals as Sweden thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in the opening game of their World Cup campaign.
Having only scored four goals all season for Liverpool, Isak has now scored two goals in his last three outings for Sweden.
Managed by Graham Potter, Sweden were dealt a tough draw, with Tunisia, Japan and the Netherlands making up the rest of Group F.
They can be much more confident of making the knockout stages after their opening match, though, as they made light work of Tunisia.
Yasin Asari got the Swedes off to a great start, smashing home from 25 yards after Isak and Viktor Gyokeres’ run and shot, respectively, had forced the goalkeeper Abdelmouhib Chamakh off his line.
Liverpool’s No. 9 then doubled the lead on the half-hour mark with a great solo goal.
In similar fashion to his friendly strike against Norway two weeks ago, Isak dribbled down the left and drove at the opposition defender.
He then shifted the ball onto his right foot and unleashed a shot towards the ‘keeper’s bottom left corner. Admittedly, Chamakh should have kept it out, but his hand wasn’t strong enough to prevent the ball from reaching the net.
After Tunisia pulled one back just before half time through an Omar Rekik header, Gyokeres restored the two-goal lead thanks to the work of Isak, who tackled captain Ellyes Skhiri and set the Arsenal forward up for a relatively simple finish.
Isak’s next assist came in unusual fashion and was only awarded thanks to the use of the new motion sensor chip inside the World Cup ball.
Moments after Wolfsburg’s Mattias Svanberg was introduced, a free-kick was bounced towards the near side of the box, where Isak got a small touch on the ball to knock it towards Svanberg to finish nicely.
Initially, the goal was disallowed due to an offside against the scorer.
However, upon review, the motion sensor technology, which is similar to UltraEdge in cricket, found Isak had touched the ball, therefore resetting the picture and meaning Svanberg was actually onside.
Isak then could have scored a second, but the Tunisia goalkeeper made his only save of the night to deny the 26-year-old’s first-time effort from 13 yards out.
Potter’s side did get their fifth eventually, though, as Brighton‘s Asari scored another screamer in minute 90+6. Interestingly, the midfielder didn’t celebrate his goals properly due to his father being born in Tunisia.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JUNE 28: Victor Lindeloef and Alexander Isak of Sweden look on during the Sweden Training Session ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 Round of 16 match between Sweden and Ukraine at Hampden Park on June 28, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jan Kruger - UEFA)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JUNE 28: Victor Lindeloef and Alexander Isak of Sweden look on during the Sweden Training Session ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 Round of 16 match between Sweden and Ukraine at Hampden Park on June 28, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jan Kruger - UEFA)
This was another performance from Isak that indicates he is beginning to return to the striker we saw at Newcastle, the one that warranted a British record transfer fee of £125 million last summer.
Next up for Sweden is a tough match against the Netherlands on Saturday in Houston. The game is at a good time for UK viewers, thankfully, kicking off at 6pm (BST) on BBC One.
Their final group game is against Japan at 12am on Friday, June 26.
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Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi against Brazil during the World Cup Group C soccer match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)