Concerns are growing regarding the performance of South American teams in the World Cup. Brazil struggled, Paraguay was disappointing, and Ecuador fought hard but still came up short. Notably, Bolivia also failed to secure a win against Iraq in the Inter-confederation playoff.
In a thrilling finish, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo delivered a stunning blow to Ecuador just before the end of the match.
Tonight’s contest unfolds at the impressive Estadio BBVA, which will be referred to as Monterrey Stadium throughout the World Cup. This arena, with a capacity of 53,000, is affectionately known as the Steel Giant and opened its doors in 2015.
Its striking views of Cerro de la Silla, a mountain rising nearly 6,000 feet, enhance the venue’s appeal. The steep seating and close proximity to the field promise to create an electric atmosphere.
Tunisia is set to employ a 4-2-3-1 formation, looking to Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri to orchestrate their attack.
1 Chamakh, 20 Valery, 3 Talbi, 4 Rekik, 21 Ben Hmida; 13 Khedira, 17 Skhiri; 10 Mejbri, 2 Abdi, 25 Ben Slimane; 8 Saad.
Graham Potter continues with his 5-2-3 strategy, prominently featuring Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. Given the lack of standout goal-scorers in this tournament so far, Sweden’s possession of two exceptional forwards could give them an edge.
23 Nordfeldt, 21 Bernhardsson, 2 Lagerbielke, 4 Hien, 3 Lindelof, 5 Gudmundsson; 18 Ayari, 16 Karlstrom; 10 Nygren, 9 Isak; 17 Gyokeres.
Missed any of the action from the opening days? No worries! You can catch up on all the latest news and insights with Max and his team on the most recent World Cup Daily.
“I’ve really enjoyed the World Cup so far,” enthuses Harry Sachar. “Plenty of entertainment and quality on view. I reckon the new rules about time-wasting have worked a treat. The cherry on top being the Socceroos wonderful win against Türkiye yesterday. Currently watching Ecuador v Côte d’Ivoire which has been yet another entertaining match.”
Indeed, I share your views, Harry. The pace of the matches has pleasantly surprised me, thanks in part to the officiating and the contrasting styles on display. The less exciting games, such as those involving Brazil and Morocco, often stemmed from teams neutralizing each other. I hope that some of the counterattacking tactics prevail as we move into the knockout stages to maintain the dynamic flow.
How have the early matches influenced your predictions in Bracketology? Is Germany rising while Brazil is slipping?
The opening game of today featured Germany overwhelming debutants Curacao with a score of 7-1 in Houston.
“Germany will surely reach the knockouts this time and could have made absolutely certain by adding several more,” said a commentator. “Nagelsmann will be pleased that threats emanated from all around the pitch, half a dozen scorers bearing testament to that, but it should go without saying that more accurate tests of strength will have to be navigated over the next month. Kai Havertz, rounding things off neatly with his second goal, will hope to be similarly efficient later on.”
Barney Ronay was present in Dallas to witness the opening match of Group F, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate between the Netherlands and Japan.
“The World Cup continued to produce the unexpected in Arlington. On a throbbingly hot afternoon in the low flat plains outside Dallas, the Netherlands and Japan played out an episodically thrilling opening Group F game, Daichi Kamada scoring an 88th-minute equaliser to make it 2-2 just as the Dutch looked like taking an early hold on one of the tougher groups. There has been so much talk of tired players, format failure and empty seats (the stadium was full here), talk so feverishly committed you wondered at times if it was necessary to play the games at all. But it does feel as though something else has been taking place in the opening games. Maybe – whisper it – the World Cup is actually good.”
Welcome to the live coverage of match 12 in the 2026 World Cup, featuring Sweden and Tunisia. The kick-off for this crucial Group F showdown at Estadio Monterrey is set for 8pm local time (10pm EDT/3am BST/12pm AEST).
This match is critical for both teams following the earlier 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan, which showcased the strengths of the group’s top contenders. However, the recent performances of both sides suggest this encounter may not reach the same technical caliber.
Sweden has struggled recently, failing to secure a victory from June 2025 to March 2026, and only managed to qualify for the finals via the playoff route. Following wins against Ukraine and Poland, they have gone two matches without a win.
On the other hand, Tunisia breezed through a favorable CAF group stage but has only managed one win in their last seven games. This includes three consecutive matches without finding the back of the net, capped off by a 5-0 defeat to Belgium in their final warm-up match.
I will return shortly with team updates and a summary of the matchday action thus far. In the meantime, you can follow the Ivory Coast v Ecuador match and share your thoughts about the tournament by emailing jonathan.howcroft.freelance@.
