This Swedish Player Scored His First World Cup Goal Against His Dad’s Country Tunisia And Refused To Celebrate
Yasin raised both his hands in a motion refusing to celebrate with his teammates.
22-year-old Swedish footballer Yasin Ayari scored the opening goal for Sweden against Tunisia in his 2026 World Cup debut and did not celebrate.
The 22-year-old is the child of a Tunisian father Azzouz Ayari and a Moroccan mother Amina, but was born and raised in Sweden.
That meant that growing up, Ayari could technically have represented any of three countries at international level — Sweden, Tunisia or Morocco.
He started playing football aged seven at his local club in Solna, before joining AIK, one of Sweden's biggest clubs, where he came through the youth system and made his senior debut in 2020.
He signed for Brighton & Hove Albion in England in 2023 and made his Sweden senior debut that same year.
On Monday, June 15, Yasin made his World Cup debut with Sweden in Monterrey, Mexico, in their opening Group F match against Tunisia at the 2026 World Cup.
Seven minutes in, he latched onto a rebound, took a touch and curled a shot into the top corner.
At 22 years and 251 days old, the goal made him the youngest Swedish scorer at a World Cup since Tomas Brolin, who was 20 when he netted at the 1990 tournament in Italy.
However, Yasin did not celebrate; instead, he raised both his hands in a motion refusing to celebrate with his teammates, then dropped to the ground in sujoud, the Islamic act of prostration, bowing his forehead to the ground in gratitude.
In 2021, when Ayari was 18, Tunisia's football federation offered him the chance to join their senior squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but he refused, according to his father.
"I was born in Sweden and feel Swedish, and Sweden is the country I want to represent," Yasin said.
"I wanted him to play for Sweden," Azzouz told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. "He must feel like he's giving back to the country that took care of him."
Sweden went on to win 5-1, with Yasin scoring a second goal in the 95th minute of the game.
This time, he did celebrate.
The win put Sweden top of Group F, above the Netherlands and Japan.
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