Mohamed Salah put on a masterclass to guide Egypt to a historic 3-1 comeback victory over New Zealand, securing the Pharaohs’ first-ever World Cup win.
The All Whites initially took the lead in the 15th minute when Finn Surman headed home a precise corner from Tim Payne.
However, following astute tactical adjustments from manager Hossam Hassan, Egypt unleashed three goals in a blistering 24-minute window.
Mostafa Zico ignited the comeback in the 58th minute, nodding home a cross from Mohamed Hany.
Salah then took center stage, orchestrating a slick one-two with Zico before slotting a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
The iconic forward capped off his stellar performance by delivering an 82nd-minute corner that substitute Trezeguet headed home, putting Egypt at the summit of Group G.
The historic triumph means Egypt, playing in their fourth World Cup since their debut in 1934, are now on the verge of qualifying for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history, as they sit at the summit of Group G.
Meanwhile, in Group H, tournament debutants Cabo Verde continued their fairytale run by fighting back to earn a thrilling 2-2 draw against heavyweights Uruguay in Miami.
Kevin Pina scored Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup goal before Uruguay struck twice through Maximiliano Araujo and Agustin Canobbio, but Helio Varela secured the draw with a crucial strike just after the hour mark.
Elsewhere in Group H, Spain made a resounding statement with a dominant 4-0 dismantling of Saudi Arabia.
Teen prodigy Lamine Yamal opened the scoring early in his first World Cup start, setting the tone for La Roja’s relentless pressure.
Mikel Oyarzabal quickly took over, netting a sensational brace within two-and-a-half minutes before both players were rested at half-time.
An unfortunate second-half own goal by Saudi defender Hassan Al-Tambakti completed the rout, firmly establishing Spain as serious contenders.
In stark contrast to Spain’s clinical display, Belgium’s star-studded squad continued to stutter on the grand stage, playing out a frustrating 0-0 draw against a resilient Iran side in Los Angeles.
The stalemate marks back-to-back draws for the underperforming Red Devils at this tournament.
With their offense firing blanks, Belgium now faces the looming grim prospect of a second consecutive group-stage exit unless they can rapidly turn their fortunes around.
