Yasin Ayari Set for Sweden Debut Against Tunisia

yasin ayari is set to make his World Cup debut for Sweden against Tunisia, the country where his father was born. The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder enters the match with family ties on both sides of the fixture and a place in Sweden’s senior setup after coming through the national teams from under-17s onward.

Ayari and Sweden

Ayari said the choice to play for Sweden was simple because he was born there and had come through the age-group teams. He described the path plainly: "It was kind of easy for me, because I was born in Sweden and came through the national teams when I was younger, so it was a simple decision,".

His father also left the door open. "It’s been just natural for me to stick with Sweden. My father as well said, ‘You decide what you want to do’."

That family background is more layered than a standard national-team decision. Ayari’s father is Tunisian, his mother is Moroccan, and he said he wanted the best for them because both parents are from those countries. He added: "Obviously, I want the best for them (his parents). My mother and father are from those countries. When I was younger, I was there a lot for holidays and stuff."

Potter’s Sweden group

Sweden’s run to the World Cup included a 3-2 win over Poland in a UEFA play-off final on home soil in March. Ayari set up Anthony Elanga’s opening goal, and Viktor Gyokeres struck the 88th-minute winner.

Since Graham Potter took charge of Sweden last October, Ayari has started regularly. Potter’s arrival came after a spell in which Sweden’s qualification hopes looked shaky, and Ayari said the coach brought a steadier edge to the group: "He came in with a calmness because, at the time, everything was so chaotic, because there was a chance we wouldn’t make it (qualify). So he came in and made sure we believed in ourselves. The group came together, and it paid off."

Ayari’s first major senior moment for Sweden also came in that same qualifier, where he described the atmosphere after the final whistle in blunt terms: "Joy. Just joy, because the stadium, 50,000, 60,000… everyone is screaming. So, just joy. And being able to have your family, friends, and your team-mates — who you can call your family as well — to be able to see them so happy was something extra."

From AIK to Brighton

His rise has followed a clear route. Ayari was spotted at age eight by Stockholm club AIK, his mother works behind the scenes there, and his younger brother, Taha, is a winger at the club.

Ayari joined Brighton in January 2023, four months before Potter left the club. He also said the first feedback he sought about Potter was simple: "I just asked how he is as a coach, but the first thing they said was that he is a good guy,". Ayari added: "He is a good person first and foremost, and second of all, a good manager."

FIFA’s latest rankings place Morocco seventh, Sweden 38th and Tunisia 45th. For Ayari, the matchup now carries more than ranking lines: it is his World Cup debut, and it comes against the side linked to his father’s birthplace.