Egypt beat New Zealand 3-1 in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver, turning a late first-half surge into the country's first win at a men's World Cup.
New Zealand struck first through Chris Wood in the 22nd minute, but Egypt answered before halftime through Mostafa Ziko, Mostafa Mohamed and Mahmoud Trezeguet. The Guardian's Reuters live report listed the final score as New Zealand 1-3 Egypt and framed the result as Egypt's first World Cup victory after seven previous tournament matches without one.
Egypt Turn The Match Before Halftime
The turning point came quickly. Ziko levelled the match in the 38th minute, Mohamed put Egypt ahead four minutes later, and Trezeguet added a stoppage-time penalty after a handball decision. That sequence changed the story from another nervous Egypt outing into a cleanly banked Group G result.
Mohamed Salah started for Egypt, but this was not a one-name result. The scoring came from three different attackers, and the match was largely decided by how Egypt handled the final stretch of the first half after Wood had given New Zealand the early advantage.
New Zealand Lose Lead In Vancouver
New Zealand had reason to feel the opening phase belonged to them. Wood's finish gave the All Whites a lead and forced Egypt to chase the match rather than manage it. The problem was what followed: three Egypt goals in roughly 10 minutes of match time around halftime, including the penalty that made New Zealand's second half much steeper.
The Guardian live report also carried post-match reaction from New Zealand captain Tyler Adams and from Salah, with both sides acknowledging the weight of the moment from opposite ends. Egypt could finally attach a win to its World Cup history; New Zealand had to absorb a missed chance after starting well.
The verified details are narrow but meaningful: Group G, Vancouver, Egypt 3, New Zealand 1, and a first World Cup win for Egypt. That is enough news without inflating the result into an unsupported qualification claim.