Egypt made World Cup history in 2026 after decades of waiting. Egypt beat New Zealand 3–1 at BC Place in Vancouver for their first victory in their fourth World Cup. Trezeguet sealed the result with a late header from a Salah corner, moving Egypt to the top of Group G with four points from two matches.

The result carried a special weight. Egypt had entered the World Cup in 1934 as Africa’s first representative, but had to wait until 2026 to celebrate a victory. The win lifted a long-standing psychological burden from the national team.

Egypt then advanced beyond the group stage. Salah, 34, played in a World Cup round of 32 for the first time in his international career, facing Australia.
The Pharaohs made further history in the knockout round. They beat Australia 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw following extra time. That made them the fifth African nation to win a World Cup knockout match, and the second, alongside Morocco, to do so in the same tournament.

The run was part of a strong showing for the continent. Africa had a record 10 nations at the tournament, and nine advanced to the knockout stage.

Date: June 21, 2026 (first win); early July 2026

Culled from Africa Top Sports: https://en.africatopsports.com/2026-fifa-world-cup-egypt-make-african-football-history-with-landmark-world-cup-knockout-victory/