Egypt created history at BC Place Vancouver, coming from behind to defeat New Zealand 3-1 and claim their first-ever FIFA World Cup™ victory. The monumental win arrived exactly 92 years and 25 days after the Pharaohs made their tournament debut.

New Zealand started the match aggressively, with Sarpreet Singh and Elijah Just threatening the Egyptian goal early on. The All Whites took a deserved lead in the 15th minute when Finn Surman met a corner with a bullet header to make it 1-0.

Egypt went in search of an equalizer before the interval, with Mohamed Salah and Emam Ashour both going close. Salah was denied again just one minute into the second period by New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe.

The match swung on a crucial sequence shortly afterward. Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir prevented New Zealand from doubling their advantage with a terrific save to deny Callum McCowatt’s flicked header. Moments later, in the 58th minute, Mostafa Zico pulled Hossam Hassan’s side level with a free header.

In the 67th minute, Salah struck the decisive blow. Capitalizing on a fine team move, the talismanic forward guided a crisp, low finish into the back of the net to spark wild celebrations on the Egyptian bench. Trezeguet then added the gloss to the historic performance, scoring Egypt’s third goal with eight minutes remaining on the clock.

The victory moves Egypt to the top of Group G with four points from two matches, placing them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout rounds. Meanwhile, New Zealand sits at the bottom of the group with a single point.