Yasin Ayari
Sweden's Brighton midfielder; scored twice against Tunisia but chose not to celebrate, honouring his father.
Last refreshed: 17 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why didn't Yasin Ayari celebrate after scoring against Tunisia at the World Cup?
Timeline for Yasin Ayari
Scored a brace for Sweden, with goals in the 7th and 90+6th minutes
2026 FIFA World Cup: Svanberg scores 18 seconds off benchBackground
Yasin Ayari scored twice for Sweden in their 5-1 win over Tunisia on 15 June 2026, earning man of the match on Sweden's World Cup opening day under Graham Potter. He did not celebrate his first goal, a mark of respect for Tunisia and his father's heritage.
Ayari, Born in Solna, Sweden to a Tunisian father and Moroccan mother, plays as a central midfielder for Brighton & Hove Albion, whom he joined from Swedish club AIK in January 2023. He was 22 at the time of the 2026 tournament. The Tunisian Football Federation approached him about switching international allegiance in 2021; his father ultimately persuaded him to remain with Sweden. Brighton signed him on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The duality of Ayari's story, Swedish international who would not celebrate against his father's country, was one of the images of the tournament's opening weekend. His brace announced him to an audience FAR beyond Sweden's Group F campaign and positioned him as one of the 2026 tournament's break-out names.