Sweden midfielder Yasin Ayari described his World Cup debut as an emotional milestone after scoring twice in his side’s commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia on Monday, a match that carried deep personal significance because of his family’s roots in the North African nation.
The 22-year-old produced two outstanding strikes to help Sweden open its Group F campaign in impressive fashion, but admitted the occasion was filled with mixed emotions as he faced the country where his father was born and where many of his relatives still live.
“It was very emotional to play against Tunisia, which I have so many feelings for — as everyone knows, my father is from there, I’ve spent many summers there, I have a lot of family there, but now I’m playing for Sweden and I have to do my best for Sweden,” Ayari told reporters after the match, according to Reuters.
“As everyone knows, I have roots there. It was a special match for me. I have a lot of feelings for Tunisia, but I am happy that we won,” he added.
Ayari gave Sweden the perfect start by unleashing a powerful long-range effort in the seventh minute. While his teammates celebrated wildly, the midfielder responded with a restrained reaction out of respect for his Tunisian heritage.
His emotions changed dramatically in stoppage time when he fired home another spectacular goal to seal the victory and complete his memorable brace.
“That was the nail in the coffin, then I could let loose a little. It is not every day that you score two goals in a World Cup,” Ayari said, according to Reuters.
The performance represented a remarkable chapter in a journey that could easily have taken a different direction. Before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Tunisia attempted to persuade Ayari to represent the country internationally. Instead, the midfielder chose to remain committed to Sweden despite the Scandinavian nation failing to qualify for that tournament.
His father, Azzouz Ayari, later explained that the decision reflected both family conviction and gratitude toward the country where Yasin was raised.
“My children were born in Sweden. I want him to play for Sweden, he should feel like he is giving back to the country that really took care of him,” Azzouz told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet before the tournament, according to Reuters.
Football has long been central to the Ayari family’s life in Stockholm. Yasin and his younger brother, Taha, both began their development at Swedish club AIK, while their Moroccan mother, Amina, has frequently worked at Strawberry Arena, which hosts both AIK matches and Sweden’s home internationals.
Monday’s victory lifted Sweden to the top of Group F after the Netherlands and Japan played out a 2-2 draw in the other opening fixture. The result leaves Sweden in a strong early position ahead of its second group match against the Dutch.
Despite his personal success, Ayari said the team was already shifting its attention toward the next challenge.
“We focused on ourselves, we played this match, we didn’t focus so much on everything else outside, now it’s on to the next match that we will focus on,” he said, according to Reuters.
Sweden’s convincing opening victory reinforced its credentials as a contender to advance from the group, while Ayari’s outstanding display highlighted the emergence of one of the country’s brightest young midfielders. For the player himself, however, the evening will be remembered not only for two spectacular goals but also for successfully navigating an emotional encounter between his family’s heritage and the nation he proudly represents on football’s biggest stage.
