Sweden and Tunisia begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup journeys on Monday when they face off in a crucial Group F encounter.The opening match could prove decisive in shaping the group standings, as Sweden looks to continue their strong World Cup tradition while Tunisia aim to finally break their long-standing group-stage struggles.Match News and Current FormSweden’s path to the World Cup was far from straightforward. Despite finishing bottom of their qualification group, their performances in the UEFA Nations League handed them another opportunity to reach the tournament. The Scandinavians made the most of that lifeline by defeating both Ukraine and Poland in the play-offs to secure their place in the finals.However, momentum has slowed since then, with Sweden failing to win either of their pre-tournament warm-up matches, recording one draw and one defeat. History may provide encouragement, though, as they have lost only two of their 12 previous World Cup opening matches, winning five and drawing five. Sweden are also targeting a fifth consecutive progression beyond the group stage.Tunisia arrive at the tournament under less-than-ideal circumstances after suffering defeats in both of their June friendlies without finding the back of the net. A heavy 5-0 loss to Belgium raised concerns ahead of their World Cup opener.Despite those setbacks, the Eagles of Carthage can draw confidence from an outstanding qualification campaign in which they collected 28 points from a possible 30, scored 22 goals and remarkably did not concede a single goal.Their defensive resilience will face a stern examination against Sweden, especially given Tunisia’s record against European opposition at the World Cup. They have managed just one victory in 12 such matches, although that lone success came in their most recent World Cup meeting with a European side.Head-to-Head RecordMeetings between these nations have historically been tight affairs.Only five goals have been scored across their four previous encounters, with Sweden holding the advantage with two wins, one draw and one defeat.Important StatsSweden have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 11 matches.Only one of Sweden’s previous six World Cup finals matches saw both teams score.Tunisia have conceded nine of their last ten goals after the interval.Six of Tunisia’s last seven World Cup matches have been decided by a margin of one goal or less.Players to WatchSweden will look to the goalscoring form of Viktor Gyokeres, who arrives at the tournament after helping Arsenal win the Premier League title. The striker netted four goals across Sweden’s two play-off victories, with six of his last seven international goals coming in the second half.For Tunisia, Hazem Mastouri could be the player to make an early impact. Three of his four international goals have opened the scoring.Sweden have injury concerns heading into the contest. Victor Lindelof and Anthony Elanga were absent for the recent friendly against Greece, while Benjamin Nygren was forced off injured during that match.Tunisia are also monitoring the fitness of Hannibal, who missed the defeat to Belgium after sustaining an injury in the previous friendly against Austria.Match DetailsThe Group F clash between Sweden and Tunisia will take place on Monday, June 15, at Monterrey Stadium.Kick-off is scheduled for 2:00 AM GMT.PredictionSweden’s greater experience on the World Cup stage and Tunisia’s recent struggles in front of goal could prove decisive in this opening fixture.While Tunisia are capable of making life difficult for their opponents, Sweden may have enough quality in attack to secure all three points.Prediction: Sweden 2-0 Tunisia. 



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