Sublime Salah sparks wild celebrations after historic Egypt win
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group G – New Zealand v Egypt – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada – June 21, 2026 Egypt’s Mohamed Salah celebrates after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Anne-Marie Sorvin TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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VANCOUVER, June 22 : Mohamed Salah may have lost some of his old sparkle, but the Egyptian winger can still be a breathtaking matchwinner as he showed in a magnificent display against New Zealand that helped turn a one-goal deficit into a historic 3-1 World Cup win.
Late on Sunday night, long after the final whistle, Salah beamed as he celebrated his team’s first win at a World Cup finals on Vancouver’s Burrard Street, his singing teammates raising him aloft on their shoulders in a reverse of what happened earlier in the evening, when he carried them to victory.
The Egypt team and their fans in Vancouver sang and danced long into the night and, despite a 10-hour time difference that meant the game ended at around 6AM (0300 GMT) local time in Cairo, fans there streamed into the streets to celebrate the heroics of Salah and his side.
“We just do our best in tournament to make the people happy in Egypt, and I think right now they are happy and proud, so the only thing I can promise them is just like we sweat and we run and we give it our best,” an elated Salah told reporters.
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Kept relatively quiet in the first half, the 34-year-old proved the difference-maker in the second, scoring to put his side into the lead and assisting the third goal for good measure as the Egyptians moved to top spot in the group.
Salah’s goal resembled many he has scored for both club and country over the years, picking up the ball on the right, cutting inside and playing a one-two before slotting it into the net with consummate ease.
“Salah scores a goal that I’ve been watching him score for 10 years, coming in and left foot,” exasperated New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley told reporters, adding that he felt his side defended well against Salah, though clearly not well enough.
New Zealand’s Elijah Just – who, like Salah, is a left-footed winger who likes to cut in from the right – told Reuters that facing “The Egyptian King” in such a momentous game was a moment to remember.
“It’s pretty special. It’s always nice, that’s what you want, you want to be playing against the best players in the world. It’s obviously a big challenge,” he said.
The Kiwis head into their final Group G game against Belgium needing a win, while Salah and his Egyptian team take on Iran knowing a victory will see them through to the knockout stage as group winners.
“I told the guys we can write history today and also in the next game if you qualify first in the group, I think it will be remembered for years to come,” Salah said.
“Now we are top of the group and we just need to celebrate today and tomorrow with the win, and then just focus on the last game.”
Source: Reuters
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