Salah leads Egypt to first World Cup win, becomes all-time top scorer

Mohamed Salah did more than tilt a group-stage match in Egypt’s favor at BC Place. He scored the goal that completed a 3-1 comeback against New Zealand, gave Egypt its first victory in World Cup history, and reached 68 goals for his country in the same night.

The Liverpool forward struck in the 67th minute after New Zealand had taken an early lead through Finn Surman in the 15th minute. Mostafa Zizo pulled Egypt level in the 58th minute, Salah then put the Pharaohs ahead, and Trézéguet sealed the result in the 82nd minute. Salah was replaced near the 85th minute and received a standing ovation from a crowd that had watched Egypt turn a tense opener into a landmark result.

The win carried weight far beyond the scoreline. Egypt had entered the 2026 tournament with no World Cup victories from its previous appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018, leaving a long gap between qualification and sustained success on the sport’s biggest stage. Reuters described the result as the end of a 92-year wait, and the numbers back up the significance: Egypt moved to four points and finished the day atop Group G, putting the team in strong position to reach the next round.

It was also the first time Egypt and New Zealand had met at a FIFA World Cup, adding another layer of novelty to a match that had already been framed as a meeting between two sides chasing a first win in the tournament. FIFA had highlighted the occasion as a full-house night at BC Place, and the atmosphere matched the stakes once Egypt began to control the game after halftime.

For Egypt, the result was about more than a single upset. Salah’s latest milestone, his 68th international goal, underlined how one elite player can raise the ceiling of an entire national side. A team that arrived in Vancouver carrying decades of frustration left with four points, a historic victory and a clearer sense that its World Cup ambitions now extend beyond simply taking part.