Egypt Secures Historic First World Cup Victory Against New Zealand

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The national team of Egypt achieved a historic milestone during the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage. In a match held in Vancouver, Canada, the Egyptian footballers defeated the New Zealand national team with a score of 3-1. This victory marked a landmark milestone in the North African team's sporting history.

The New Zealanders managed to take the lead early in the match thanks to a precise strike by Finn Surman in the 15th minute. However, the Egyptian team turned the confrontation around in the second half. Mostafa Ziko restored parity in the 58th minute, star forward Mohamed Salah put his team ahead nine minutes later, and Trezeguet established the final result in the 82th minute.

This success marked the first victory for the Egyptian national team in the final stages of the world championships in the entire history of the team's existence. In their previous eight World Cup matches, the Egyptians drew three times and suffered five defeats. For New Zealand, making its third appearance at a World Cup, this loss snapped a unique four-match unbeaten streak in world championships that had stretched back to the 2010 tournament.

Following two matchdays, Egypt took sole possession of the top spot in the Group G standings with 4 points. The national teams of Iran and Belgium sit in second and third place with 2 points each, while New Zealand rounds out the quartet with 1 point. In the final round of the group stage, with matches scheduled for the night of 27 June 2026, the Egyptians will play against the Iranians, while New Zealand will contest a place in the knockout stage against Belgium. As a reminder, 48 national teams are competing for a place in the round of 32 at the current expanded championship in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.