Egyptians hail first-ever World Cup win as Tunisia, Turkey exit

Celebrations erupted across Egypt and among Egyptian communities abroad after the national team defeated New Zealand 3-1 in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, moving the Pharaohs to the brink of the Round of 32.

The result sparked celebrations across Egypt, where many fans stayed up into the early morning hours to watch the match because of the time difference. 

Sunday’s win marked Egypt’s first in World Cup history. The team had previously qualified for the tournament three times — in 1934, 1990 and 2018 — but had never won a game before the 2026 World Cup. Should the team advance to the Round of 32, it would mark Egypt's first appearance beyond the group stage. 

The celebrations stretched beyond Egypt, with fans also marking the victory in Gaza and New York City.

New Zealand took the lead in Vancouver early in the first half, but Egypt rallied after the break with three unanswered goals.

Egyptian left winger Mostafa Ziko tied the game with Egypt’s first goal in the 58th minute, followed less than 10 minutes later with a goal by Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah. Egypt cemented the victory in the 82nd minute with a goal from left winger Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan, known as Trezeguet.

Egypt's victory came as the tournament ended for two other regional sides. Tunisia and Turkey were knocked out after opening the competition with back-to-back defeats, leaving them unable to catch up to the third-place teams in their groups.

Tunisia's campaign unraveled with a 5-1 loss to Sweden before a 4-0 defeat to Japan confirmed their elimination. Turkey has not scored a point, following a 2-0 loss to Australia and a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay.

The group stage concludes Saturday, and the Round of 32 begins Sunday and runs through July 3.

Among the region's remaining teams, Morocco has four points and will play their final group-stage match against Haiti on Wednesday. The North African side is tied with Brazil at the top of their group.

Iran, which shares Group G with Egypt, has two points and will face the Pharaohs on Friday.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia each have one point, while Algeria, Jordan and Iraq remain without a point. Iraq will take on powerhouse France in their next group-stage match on Monday, while Jordan and Algeria are set to face off later that same day.

Qatar will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, and Saudi Arabia will play against Cape Verde on Friday.