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Egypt achieved its first-ever FIFA World Cup victory by defeating New Zealand 3-1 on June 22 2026 in Vancouver moving atop Group G with four points. The team overcame an early 1-0 deficit with second-half goals from Mostafa Ziko Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet as it seeks a first-ever progression to the round of 16.
Qatar News Agency reported that New Zealand began strongly and opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Finn Surman headed home a cross after exploiting poor marking by the Egyptian defense. Egypt responded after the interval equalizing in the 58th minute as Mostafa Ziko directed a header from a Mohamed Hany cross past the goalkeeper. The Egyptians went ahead in the 67th minute when Mohamed Salah combined with Ziko before slotting a low shot into the net.
The report highlighted how substitute Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet completed the scoring in the 82nd minute by heading in powerfully from a corner that gave the New Zealand goalkeeper no chance. Ziko stood out for Egypt by scoring the equalizer and assisting Salah’s goal. He became the first Egyptian player to achieve both in the same World Cup fixture according to the agency.
The win marked Egypt’s first success in World Cup competition after three prior appearances without a victory in the 1934 1990 and 2018 tournaments FIFA historical records show. Salah took his World Cup goals total to three surpassing Abdelrahman Fawzi as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer in the competition. It was also the second win by an Arab side at the 2026 tournament after Morocco defeated Scotland.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams for the first time and is co-hosted by Canada Mexico and the United States a FIFA assessment found. This expanded format has created additional opportunities for African teams such as Egypt to advance beyond the group phase. Egypt now targets a place in the round of 16 which would represent a national milestone in the competition.
Qatar News Agency data places Egypt at the top of Group G with four points from two matches two points ahead of Belgium and Iran. New Zealand sits at the bottom of the group with one point after two games. The standings indicate that the final round of matches will determine which teams progress from the quartet.
The agency noted that the result gives Egypt momentum ahead of its concluding group fixture where a positive outcome could secure historic qualification. Ziko’s performance and Salah’s milestone contributed significantly to the victory that ended a long wait for an Egyptian World Cup win. New Zealand had shown early promise but ultimately fell to the Egyptian comeback in the match staged in Vancouver.
