World Cup 2026: Mohamed Salah stars with goal and assist as Egypt beat New Zealand to secure historic first win

Egypt produced a landmark performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday morning as Mohamed Salah delivered both a goal and an assist in a 3-1 comeback victory over New Zealand at BC Place.

The result marks Egypt’s first-ever win on the global stage, a historic breakthrough for the Pharaohs in Group G.

Despite falling behind early, Egypt showed resilience and attacking quality to overturn the deficit, with Salah at the heart of the turnaround as they climbed to the top of the group ahead of their final fixture against Iran.

Early Pressure as New Zealand Test Egypt’s Defence

New Zealand started brightly and nearly struck inside two minutes when Sarpreet Singh found space on the edge of the box, only to curl his effort just wide of the right post.

The Kiwis continued to threaten in the 14th minute as Elijah Henry Just forced a strong save from Oufa Shobeir after breaking into the box. The resulting corner would soon prove decisive.

Surman’s Header Gives New Zealand First-Half Lead

From the 15th-minute set piece, Tim Payne delivered an inviting cross into the area and Finn Surman rose above the Egyptian defence to power a superb header into the roof of the net, giving New Zealand a 1-0 lead.

Egypt responded with intent, with Omar Marmoush testing Max Crocombe in the 27th minute, but the New Zealand goalkeeper was equal to the effort.

Salah Comes Close Before the Break

Mohamed Salah began to influence the game before half-time, first coming close in the 35th minute when he fired narrowly wide from a set-piece situation on the edge of the box.

He came even closer after the restart in the 46th minute, but his close-range effort from a lofted cross was saved once again by Crocombe, keeping New Zealand ahead.

Egypt Level Through Ziko Before Salah Takes Control

Egypt finally broke through in the 59th minute. Mohamed Hany delivered a brilliant run and cross, allowing Mostafa Ziko to power a close-range header into the roof of the net to make it 1-1.

Momentum shifted completely in Egypt’s favour, and in the 68th minute Mohamed Salah produced the decisive moment. Linking up with Ziko, Salah found space inside the box and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to complete the comeback and make it 1-2.

Salah Assists as Trezeguet Seals Victory

Egypt wrapped up the win in the 82nd minute when Salah turned provider once again. His perfectly delivered corner kick was met by Trezeguet, who rose highest to power a header that bounced in off the ground and inside the left post, sealing a 3-1 victory.

Historic Moment for Egypt on the World Stage

The victory carries major historical significance for Egypt. The Pharaohs, who became the first African and Arab nation to feature at the World Cup in 1934 and also appeared in 1990 and 2018, have now recorded their first-ever win in World Cup history.

The result sends Egypt to the top of Group G heading into their final group match against Iran, strengthening their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.