Mohamed Salah Scripts History With Record-Breaking FIFA World Cup Goal

Published 22 June 2026 · sports

Mohamed Salah Scripts History With Record-Breaking FIFA World Cup Goal Published By, Last Updated: June 22, 2026, 12:05 IST Mohamed Salah becomes Egypt's oldest FIFA

Mohamed Salah Scripts History With Record-Breaking FIFA World Cup Goal Published By, Last Updated: June 22, 2026, 12:05 IST Mohamed Salah becomes Egypt's oldest FIFA World Cup scorer and inspires first ever tournament victory over New Zealand. Rapid Read Mohamed Salah celebrates his goal against New Zealand (Picture credit: AP) Star Egypt right-winger Mohamed Salah on Monday became the oldest player from his country to score a FIFA World Cup goal, at the age of 34, going past Magdy Abed El Ghani, who scored a goal in the 1990 edition of the tournament, at 30 years old. Salah, Mostafa Zico and Trezeguet were Egypt’s scorers after Finn Surman had given New Zealand the lead after 15 minutes of the Group G game in Vancouver.

The win puts Egypt top of Group G on four points and needing just a draw against Iran in Seattle on Friday to move into the last 32. Salah’s goal came after he exchanged passes with Zico, named after the Brazilian legend and then curled in a shot with his left foot in the 67th minute. Salah then set up substitute Trezeguet, named after former France forward David Trezeguet, who sealed the victory over New Zealand with a low header, making the result safe. “In years to come we will remember that this was one of the achievements in history. It feels like we are playing in Egypt. It is a great win and great vibe," Salah said after the match.

Egypt had trailed the Kiwis, who opened the scoring through Surman’s towering header after 15 minutes. But Zico equalised when he headed in a cross from Mohamed Hany. Salah’s standout second-half performance against New Zealand helped guide the Pharaohs to their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory in their ninth attempt, leaving them on the verge of qualifying for the Round of 32. Salah endured a slow start to the tournament, producing an ineffective display in the opening draw against Belgium, before following it up with a quiet first half against New Zealand. But just when it seemed his FIFA World Cup struggles might continue, Salah stepped up as the latest global superstar to leave his mark on the tournament, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.

News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: June 22, 2026, 12:01 IST News sports football Mohamed Salah Scripts History With Record-Breaking FIFA World Cup Goal Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...