Salah ends 92-year wait as Egypt beat New Zealand at World Cup

Mohamed Salah finally put Egypt on the right side of World Cup history. In Vancouver at BC Place, Egypt came from a goal down to beat New Zealand 3-1 and claim their first-ever victory in the tournament, a result that carried the weight of 92 years of frustration and three previous campaigns without a win.

New Zealand struck first when Finn Surman headed in the opening goal in the 15th minute, briefly threatening to extend Egypt’s long wait. But Egypt answered in the second half through Mostafa Ziko, Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet, turning the match on its head and leaving Egypt top of Group G. The win also pushed the national team to the brink of reaching the last 32 for the first time in its World Cup history.

The significance stretched well beyond one group-stage result. Egypt had appeared at the 1934, 1990 and 2018 World Cups without winning a match, making this victory the breakthrough that had eluded several generations. FIFA said it came 92 years and 25 days after Egypt’s World Cup debut, a figure that underlined how deeply the wait had settled into the team’s identity.

Salah’s role made the night even more consequential. He scored his first goal of the 2026 World Cup, his 68th international goal for Egypt, and added an assist for Trezeguet’s goal. He was named FIFA’s Player of the Match, recognition that matched the influence he carried throughout the second-half surge.

For Egypt, the result offered more than relief. It gave the national side a signature World Cup moment and a chance to redefine expectations in the expanded 2026 format. For Salah, whose World Cup story had long been marked by disappointment, the performance offered a different legacy point: not only a star of European club football, but the player who helped deliver Egypt’s first win on the sport’s biggest stage.