Who is the Swedish Yassine Ayari and why did he not celebrate against Tunisia? | World Cup 2026 news
The 22-year-old scored two goals against Tunisia, but silenced the celebrations against the country where his father was born.
Published on June 15, 2026
For a 22-year-old making his World Cup debut for Sweden, Yacine Ayari could only dream of a better start on his debut at football’s biggest showpiece.
With a shot straight into the top corner of Tunisia’s goal just seven minutes into the first half of their Group H match in Monterrey, Ayari opened the scoring. For the Scandinavian side against their opponents in North Africa.
However, the fresh-faced midfielder did not enjoy the moment as a young player making his World Cup debut, instead choosing to raise his hands before falling to the ground in sujood (the Islamic act of prostration).
the reason? The deep Tunisian connection runs in his blood, which could have seen him playing for the opposition four years ago.
Ayari is of North African origins, from a Tunisian father and a Moroccan mother, but he was born in Sweden. At the age of 18, the promising footballer decided to represent the country of his birth, not the country of his parents, and his father supported the decision.
“I wanted him to play for the Swedish national team,” Azouz Ayari told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, adding: “He should feel like he is giving back to the country that cared for him.”
Azouz, who immigrated to the Scandinavian country, revealed that his son was offered a place on the Tunisian side, but neither the father nor the son considered it an option.
Ayari began playing football at the age of seven with the youth team of his hometown club Rasunda, in Solna, before moving to Scandinavian football giant AIK, where he made his first-team debut in 2020.
The attacking midfielder was signed by English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023, making his debut for Sweden in the same year.
Explaining his decision to wear the yellow and blue of Sweden instead of the red and white of Tunisia, Ayari said it was “natural” to continue representing the country he played for as a child.
When the draw for the 2026 World Cup was announced in December, the irony of playing against his father’s country was not lost on Ayari.
“It was crazy that we ended up with them in our group,” he said.
The young talent was the standout player in Sweden’s thrashing of Tunisia, capping off their dominant performance with another stunning solo goal in the 95th minute.
Ayari found the ball on the edge of the Tunisian goal and sent it into the far corner to score his second World Cup goal on his debut.
But this time, he celebrated and was overwhelmed by the applause of the delighted Swedish crowd.
