The 22-year-old scored twice against Tunisia but was less than happy to celebrate against the country of his father’s birth.
Published June 15, 2026
Making his World Cup debut for Sweden, 22-year-old Yasin Ayari couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to his introduction to soccer’s biggest show.
Ayari put the Scandinavian team ahead against their North African opponents with a wide-open volley into the top corner of Tunisia’s goal just seven minutes into the first half in the Group H match in Monterrey.
However, the fresh-faced midfielder did not enjoy the moment like the young World Cup debutant, opting instead to raise his hands in the air before falling to the ground in sujood (Islamic prostration).
reason? He has deep Tunisian ties in his blood, and four years ago those deep Tunisian ties could have seen him playing for an opposing team.
Ayali is of North African descent with a Tunisian father and Moroccan mother, but was born in Sweden. At the age of 18, the promising soccer player decided to represent the country of his birth rather than the country of his parents, and his father also supported his decision.
“I would have liked him to play for Sweden,” Ayali told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, adding: “He should feel like he is giving back to the country that took care of him.”
Azouz, who moved to the Scandinavian country, revealed that his son had been offered a move to the Tunisian side, but neither father nor son considered that an option.
Ayari started playing football in the youth ranks of his hometown club Lasunda in Solna at the age of seven, before moving to Scandinavian football giants AIK, where he made his first-team debut in 2020.
The attacking midfielder signed with Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League in 2023 and made his debut for Sweden in the same year.
Ayali said his decision to wear Sweden’s yellow and blue rather than Tunisia’s red and white was “natural” to continue representing the country he played for as a child.
When the 2026 World Cup draw was announced in December, Ayari was struck by the irony of playing against his father’s country.
“It was crazy that they ended up joining our group,” he said.
The young talent was the standout player in Sweden’s big win over Tunisia, ending an underwhelming performance with another blistering individual goal in the 95th minute.
Ayali found the ball on the edge of the Tunisian goal and curled it into the far corner to score his second World Cup goal on his debut.
But this time, he celebrated and soaked in the applause of a jubilant Swedish crowd.
