Sweden arrive at this World Cup as one of its more unlikely participants. They finished bottom of their UEFA qualifying group — behind Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia — and needed a fortunate Nations League pathway through the lower divisions to reach the playoffs and ultimately secure their place in North America. That precariousness defines them. Anthony Elanga, their most electric wide threat, has barely featured in 2026, and the questions surrounding manager Jon Dahl Tomasson's best XI feel genuinely unresolved. Sweden's strength lies in their physical organisation and the creative industry of players like Dejan Kulusevski, who will need to be the difference-maker if they are to progress from a group that also contains the Netherlands and Japan.

Tunisia, meanwhile, are seasoned World Cup travellers with a reputation for defensive resilience and collective discipline that routinely outperforms their individual rankings. Their 1-0 victory over Sweden in a 2003 friendly — the only previous meeting between these sides — feels like a small but telling footnote: they know how to make themselves difficult to break down.

What is at stake here is significant. In a group containing two formidable sides in the Netherlands and Japan, an opening-match defeat for either team would leave them facing an almost immediate elimination crisis. A win on matchday one could prove the foundation of everything.

The tactical battle worth watching is whether Tunisia's compact defensive structure can frustrate Sweden's attempts to build through Kulusevski and exploit wide areas, or whether Sweden's set-piece threat eventually tells.

Prediction: A tight, attritional contest ends 1-0 to Sweden, with Tunisia making them work for every inch.