Salah leads Egypt to first World Cup win over New Zealand

Mohamed Salah delivered a landmark night for Egypt, scoring the goal that turned a comeback into history and pushing his country to its first World Cup victory. In a 3-1 win over New Zealand at BC Place in Vancouver, Salah also reached 68 goals for Egypt, leaving him one shy of Hossam Hassan’s all-time national record.

Egypt had to recover after Finn Surman put New Zealand ahead in the 15th minute, a reminder that both sides entered the Group G match chasing their first World Cup win. Mostafa Mohamed, known as Zico, levelled for Egypt in the 58th minute, and Salah then struck in the 67th to put the Africans in front for good. Trézéguet added the third in the 82nd minute to seal the result.

The victory carried special weight because Egypt and New Zealand had never met at a World Cup before this game. That made the contest more than a routine group match. It became a defining moment for an Egypt side trying to translate its long continental reputation into a breakthrough on football’s biggest stage.

Salah’s goal was his first of the 2026 World Cup and the kind of moment that has come to define Egypt’s tournament hopes. With the win, Egypt moved to the top end of Group G and strengthened its position in the race to advance to the round of 16, or 16avos of final, in a tournament expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches.

The scene inside BC Place matched the significance of the scoreline. Egypt’s players celebrated on the field while a large Egyptian crowd in Vancouver erupted in the stands. Salah was given an ovation when he was substituted in the closing stages, a recognition of both the match-winning goal and the larger milestone he is building toward.

For Egypt, the result was about more than three points. It marked a national first in World Cup history and underscored how Salah has become the face of a team trying to reshape expectations on the global stage, one goal and one breakthrough at a time.