2026 FIFA World Cup — Group G, Matchday 2 | June 22 | BC Place, Vancouver
VANCOUVER — For 59 minutes, it looked like the same old story. Egypt, trailing 1-0 to New Zealand, were heading for another World Cup disappointment. The Pharaohs had never won a World Cup match. Not in 1934. Not in 1990. Not in 2018. Never.
Then Mohamed Salah decided to rewrite history.
In the 59th minute, Mohamed Hany crossed from the right. Mostafa Ziko rose unmarked in the box and headed home. 1-1.
In the 67th minute, Ziko and Salah exchanged a one-two at the edge of the box. Ziko laid it back. Salah took one touch, cut inside, and placed a low shot into the far corner. 2-1.
In the 82nd minute, Salah swung in a corner. Trezeguet, on as a substitute, threw himself at the ball and headed it into the net. 3-1.
The final whistle blew. Egypt had their first-ever World Cup victory. Salah dropped to his knees and pointed to the sky.
Salah: 34 and Still the King
This was not Salah’s best performance. In the first half, his shots were blocked. His free-kick drifted wide. His passes were intercepted. At 34, he is not as explosive as he was at 28.
But the second half showed why he is the greatest player in Egyptian history.
The goal in the 67th minute was a classic Salah finish — the quick exchange with Ziko, the cut inside, the low shot into the far corner. It was his second World Cup goal, making him Egypt’s all-time leading scorer in the competition. He also became Egypt’s oldest World Cup goalscorer at 34.
The corner for Trezeguet’s goal was equally important — a delivery so precise that the substitute only needed to put his head on it.
Salah was involved in 10 shots during the match — five of his own, five created for teammates. No player at this World Cup has been involved in more in a single game.
New Zealand: Dream Start, Nightmare Finish
Finn Surman’s 15th-minute header — a towering effort from a corner — gave New Zealand their first goal of the tournament and a dream start. For 44 minutes, they held the lead. Their defence blocked Salah’s shots. Their goalkeeper, Crocombe, made saves.
But the second half exposed their limitations. Egypt increased the tempo, and New Zealand’s legs began to tire. Ziko was completely unmarked for the equaliser. The one-two that set up Salah’s goal split the defence too easily.
Chris Wood, New Zealand’s captain and talisman, battled hard but had just one shot all match. He spent most of the game wrestling with Egyptian defenders, winning headers but never getting a clear sight of goal.
Group G Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| 2 | Iran | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Belgium | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 1 |
Match Details:
- New Zealand 1-3 Egypt
- Venue: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
- Goals: Surman 15′ (New Zealand), Ziko 59′ (Egypt, assist: Hany), Salah 67′ (Egypt, assist: Ziko), Trezeguet 82′ (Egypt, assist: Salah)
- Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
- Note: Egypt’s first-ever World Cup win; Salah becomes Egypt’s all-time World Cup top scorer