Egypt made history Sunday at the 2026 World Cup, defeating New Zealand for the program's first-ever victory in the tournament. The win was decades in the making for a team that had not earned a World Cup point since 1990.
According to ABC News, the Pharaohs entered the match as heavy favorites against the 83rd-ranked All Whites. Egypt is ranked 28th in the world.
Coach Hossam Hassan set the tone before the match. The match "is everything in our world for the moment," Hassan said Saturday in comments translated from Arabic. Hassan, Egypt's all-time leading goal scorer, played for the national team at the 1990 World Cup and now leads a squad built around global stars Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush. Salah entered the match two goals shy of matching Hassan's scoring record.
The win follows a strong opening for Egypt. The Pharaohs drew 1-1 with Belgium in their first group match, earning their first World Cup point since 1990. That draw also marked the first time Egypt had carried a halftime lead at the World Cup. It was only the second time in the country's World Cup history that the team had held a lead at any point in a match.
The result fits into a broader trend. A record 10 African teams are competing at this year's expanded 48-team World Cup. Ghana beat Panama. Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador. Morocco held five-time champion Brazil to a draw. Cape Verde shut out Spain 0-0. Congo drew with Portugal.
"The national squads of Africa have proven their great performance many times at the World Cup, including this one," Hassan said.
Egypt is seven-time winner of the Africa Cup of Nations but has historically struggled on the global stage. The team missed the 2022 World Cup entirely. This year's squad includes not just Salah and Marmoush but also 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who made his international debut for the senior team in a friendly against Russia last month.
Hassan has spoken directly about what this run means beyond the sport. "We want to represent African football and Arab football," he said. "We want to live up to the aspirations of the Egyptian fans. I only think about bringing happiness to our fans."
With the victory over New Zealand secured, Egypt now turns to a final group stage match against Iran in Seattle.
