Mohamed Salah Inspires Egypt to Historic First World Cup Victory with Comeback Over New Zealand
Egypt's 3-1 triumph over New Zealand marks their inaugural World Cup win, shaking up Group G standings as Spain also secured a dominant 4-0 victory.
The story
Egypt celebrated a momentous occasion in Vancouver, clinching their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory with a spirited 3-1 comeback against New Zealand. The All Whites initially took the lead through Finn Surman's header in the 15th minute, sparking hopes of an upset.
However, Egypt emerged revitalized after the break. Mostafa Ziko leveled the score in the 58th minute, followed by a decisive goal from captain Mohamed Salah in the 67th minute, who calmly finished a fine team move.
Trezeguet then sealed the historic win in the 82nd minute with a header from a corner. The result at BC Place Vancouver propels Egypt to the top of Group G, significantly boosting their chances of reaching the knockout stages for the first time.
Yesterday's results
Spain vs Saudi Arabia
Score: 4-0
Key: Lamine Yamal opened the scoring, followed by a Mikel Oyarzabal brace and an own goal in Atlanta.
Belgium vs Iran
Score: 0-0
Key: A goalless draw in Los Angeles saw Belgium's Nathan Ngoy sent off in the 66th minute.
Uruguay vs Cape Verde
Score: 2-2
Key: Cape Verde earned another surprise draw in Miami, with Kevin Pina and Helio Varela scoring.
New Zealand vs Egypt
Score: 1-3
Key: Mohamed Salah led Egypt's second-half comeback in Vancouver for their historic first World Cup win.
Where it stands
Group H saw Spain move to the top with 4 points and a +4 goal difference after their dominant win over Saudi Arabia. Uruguay and Cape Verde both sit on 2 points with a 0 goal difference following their 2-2 draw, while Saudi Arabia has 1 point.
In Group G, Egypt now leads with 4 points and a +2 goal difference after their historic victory. Iran and Belgium are tied with 2 points each, both with a 0 goal difference, though Iran has scored more goals.
New Zealand is at the bottom with 1 point. No teams have officially qualified for the knockout rounds or been eliminated from these groups yet, setting up a tense final matchday.
What we'll be watching
- Argentina vs Austria [World Cup], World Cup 2026 (Group J), 2026-06-22T17:00Z, Arlington
- France vs Iraq [World Cup], World Cup 2026 (Group I), 2026-06-23T01:00Z, Philadelphia
- Norway vs Senegal [World Cup], World Cup 2026 (Group I), 2026-06-23T04:00Z, Toronto
- Jordan vs Algeria [World Cup], World Cup 2026 (Group J), 2026-06-23T07:00Z, Santa Clara
- Portugal vs Uzbekistan [World Cup], World Cup 2026 (Group K), 2026-06-23T17:00Z, Houston
- England vs Ghana [World Cup], World Cup 2026 (Group L), 2026-06-24T00:00Z, Foxborough
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.