Ayari Sweden Debut Looms Against Tunisia in Group F

Yasin Ayari’s World Cup debut for ayari sweden lands against Tunisia, the country where his father was born. The 22-year-old Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder arrives as a senior international who has come through Sweden’s age groups and now steps into Group F with a direct family link to the opposition.

Ayari and Tunisia

Ayari said the choice to represent Sweden was straightforward because he was born there and came through the national teams as a youngster. He also has deep ties to Tunisia and Morocco through his parents, and he has spoken about spending holidays in both countries while growing up.

“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,” he said. 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

Sweden opens Group F against Tunisia at 10pm Sunday ET, with Graham Potter in charge after taking over in October. Potter’s team booked its place at the World Cup in March by beating Poland 3-2 in a UEFA play-off final, a match in which Ayari supplied the assist for Anthony Elanga’s opening goal.

Ayari described that night with one word first: “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.” Viktor Gyokeres later scored the 88th-minute winner.

AIK and Brighton

His route to this moment has been shaped by Sweden and by one family connection to football. Ayari was spotted at age eight by AIK, his father’s former club, after his father moved to Sweden to pursue a career as a winger and No 10 and later coached him in a local team. His mother works behind the scenes at AIK, and his younger brother Taha is a winger there as well.

That path now leads into a first World Cup appearance against Tunisia, a side ranked 45th in FIFA’s latest rankings, while Sweden sits 38th. Ayari joined Brighton in January 2023, and his move from youth international to senior World Cup debutant now gives Sweden a player whose personal history runs straight through the opening match.

He also said Potter’s arrival helped steady the team during qualification. “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.”