Egypt Comeback to Beat New Zealand 3-1, Salah Stars to Top Group G
Egypt came from behind to defeat New Zealand 3-1 at BC Place, with Mohamed Salah scoring and assisting to lift the Pharaohs to the top of Group G with 4 points.
In a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match at BC Place, Vancouver on June 25, 2026, Egypt came from behind to defeat New Zealand 3-1. New Zealand took an early lead through F. Surman in the 15th minute, but Egypt responded with three second-half goals to secure all three points.
The first half saw New Zealand capitalize on a counter-attack, with T. Payne assisting F. Surman to give the All Whites a 1-0 lead at halftime. Despite dominating possession, Egypt could not find the net before the break.
Egypt intensified their attack in the second half. M. Ziko equalized in the 58th minute with an assist from M. Hany. In the 67th minute, M. Ziko turned provider for M. Salah to put Egypt ahead. Trezeguet sealed the win in the 82nd minute, assisted by M. Salah.
Statistically, Egypt dominated with 19 total shots (7 on target) compared to New Zealand's 11 (5 on target). Egypt held 56% possession and completed 87% of their passes (460 accurate), while New Zealand had 44% possession and 80% passing accuracy (337 accurate). Corner kicks favored New Zealand 4-3, but Egypt led in expected goals (1.87 vs 1.24). Both goalkeepers made 4 saves each.
The player of the match was Egypt's Mohamed Salah. The 33-year-old Liverpool forward scored one goal and provided one assist in 85 minutes, with 3 shots, 5 key passes, and 33 passes, earning an 8.7 rating. Salah has 113 caps for Egypt, was born in Nagrig, and is valued at €22.00m.
With this result, Egypt tops Group G with 4 points from two matches (1 win, 1 draw). Iran is second with 2 points (2 draws), Belgium third also with 2 points, and New Zealand bottom with 1 point (1 draw, 1 loss).
Egypt now controls their destiny: a draw against Iran in the final group match will secure qualification. New Zealand must beat Belgium to have a chance at finishing third.
Egypt faces Iran on June 27, while New Zealand takes on Belgium on the same day. Both matches kick off at 11:00 Beijing time.
For more details, visit the match page, team pages for New Zealand and Egypt, and the group standings.