Salah fires Egypt to historic first World Cup win

BBC Sport reports that Mohamed Salah delivered the decisive second-half performance as Egypt beat New Zealand 3-1 to claim the country’s first victory at a men’s World Cup, 92 years after its tournament debut. New Zealand struck first, but Egypt recovered after the interval, with Salah scoring in the 67th minute before his corner was headed in by Trezeguet to put the result beyond reach.

The win matters because it changes both Egypt’s tournament position and Salah’s own World Cup story. His previous appearances on this stage had been marked by injury, frustration and early exits, including the difficult 2018 campaign and Egypt’s failure to qualify for Qatar four years later. This time, the defining image was different: Salah taking control of a game that was beginning to drift away from his side.

Egypt now have a clear route toward the last 32. A point against Iran would be enough to confirm progress, and depending on other results they may not even need that. That is a major shift for a team that had never won a World Cup match before this result and had carried that record through several generations of players.

Salah’s contribution was also important because his wider future has been uncertain after the end of his Liverpool spell. Rather than letting that noise dominate the tournament, he produced the kind of direct intervention Egypt needed: a goal, a dangerous set piece and a calmer second half from the team around him.

The next question is whether Egypt can turn one historic result into a longer run. The New Zealand comeback gives them momentum, but the Iran match will test whether this was a breakthrough moment or simply one emotional night. For now, Egypt finally have the World Cup win they had been chasing for nearly a century.