Egypt’s first World Cup win. It took 92 years and 25 days since their debut in the tournament. It took Mohamed Salah, a backheel pass from Zico, and a pumped fist that the entire BC Place saw and felt simultaneously.
They came from behind to do it. New Zealand led at half-time. Nobody expected that. Then Egypt came out for the second half and scored three times in 24 minutes and the Pharaohs fans in the sellout crowd in Vancouver lost their minds completely.
New Zealand 1-3 Egypt. Egypt top of Group G. Their first-ever World Cup victory. A result that 100 million people back home will remember for the rest of their lives.
Finn Surman started it all for New Zealand. A corner in the 15th minute — Tim Payne delivered it from the right, and Surman arrived at the back post and sent a flying header across goal into the net. New Zealand 1-0. The All Whites bench erupted. The Egyptian fans, red shirts filling the stands, went quiet.
Egypt tried to respond before half-time. Salah had a shot in the sixth minute that barely missed. Marmoush had two efforts. Zico tried at the 21st minute. Hany had a go at the 20th. None of it went in. Hamdy Fathy went off injured in the first half — replaced by Ramy Rabia — which did not help the Egyptian rhythm. New Zealand’s backline held firm. Half-time: New Zealand 1-0 Egypt. The history was waiting.
Bazeley’s All Whites came back out for the second half sitting on what would have been a precious lead. McCowatt glanced a header from close range just after the restart — it went wide, just. That was the last proper New Zealand chance of the evening.
What followed was Egypt turning the whole thing over in 24 minutes.
Zico broke through in the 58th minute. He found space between Surman and Payne — the two men whose set-piece connection had given New Zealand the lead — and headed toward goal. Max Crocombe got a hand to it. Could not stop it. 1-1. Zico gestured to the crowd to make more noise. They obliged.
Then Salah. Nine minutes later. Zico received the ball with his back to goal, turned his defender, and slipped a backheel pass into Salah’s path. Salah took it in stride and finished. His 68th international goal. One away from matching his coach Hossam Hassan for Egypt’s all-time scoring record. He pumped his fist. His teammates mobbed him. 2-1 Egypt.
The stadium was delirious. Egypt had been at 0-1 at half-time and now they were winning, against a New Zealand side who had done everything right for 45 minutes.
Trezeguet sealed it with ten minutes left. Salah swung in a corner from the right and Trezeguet arrived to meet it with a diving header. 3-1. Crocombe could not get there. Salah’s assist complemented his goal. He was substituted in the 85th minute and received a standing ovation from the entire stadium — not just the Egyptian supporters.
Crocombe denied Zizo deep in added time when the match was long over, producing a sharp save when Egypt might have made it four. New Zealand had a late corner — De Vries delivered it at 89′ and 90+4′ — but the game was done.
The numbers afterward were extraordinary in the context of what the first half suggested. Egypt ended with 1.96 xG. New Zealand had 1.21 — actually enough to win most games. The difference was that Egypt’s second half was another level entirely.
Surman’s goal was New Zealand’s third of the tournament — they scored in both group games but leave with just one point. Against Belgium, they had drawn 1-1, McCowatt’s goal giving them parity before Egypt took over. It was not enough to qualify. They face Belgium in the final group game knowing their World Cup 2026 ends there.
Egypt now need at least a draw against Iran in Seattle on June 26 to advance to the knockout stage. Iran and Belgium play each other on the same day. Group G is wonderfully unpredictable still. But the Pharaohs go into that final group game having beaten New Zealand, having drawn with Belgium, and having scored when the moment demanded it most. Salah at 34, still the decisive figure, still the player every Egyptian supporter watches with a specific kind of intensity.
For live World Cup scores from every group, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full results, standings and knockout bracket at the official FIFA World Cup website.
New Zealand 1-3 Egypt FIFA World Cup 2026, Group G, Match 40 | Sunday, 21 June 2026 BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Goals: Finn Surman 15′ (New Zealand, assist: Tim Payne corner) | Mostafa Zico 58′, Mohamed Salah 67′ (assist: Zico backheel), Trezeguet 82′ (assist: Salah corner) — Egypt
Yellow Cards: Sarpreet Singh 20′ (New Zealand, serious foul play) | Cameron McCowatt 34′ (New Zealand, serious foul play) | Lashin (Egypt, 17′, serious foul play)
Substitutions: Rabia for Fathy 41′ (EGY, injury) | De Vries for Just 85′ (NZL) | Zizo for Ashour 85′ (EGY) | Abdelmaguid for ?, then Abdelmonem for Abdelmaguid 90+9′ (EGY)
Stats: Possession New Zealand 39% — Egypt 50% (11% contested) | Attempts 11-19 | Shots on Target 5-7 | xG NZL 1.21 — EGY 1.96 | Half-time: 1-0
Group G standings: Egypt 2 pts | Iran 2 pts | Belgium 2 pts | New Zealand 1 pt
