Salah scores to help Egypt to first World Cup win
Mohamed Salah's and Egypt's World Cup struggles have finally come to an end.
The Egyptian King's decisive second-half performance secured Egypt's first ever World Cup victory in their ninth appearance, putting the Pharaohs on the verge of advancing to the last 32.
Salah scored in the 67th minute to give Egypt the lead after they had fallen behind to an early goal from New Zealand. Later, his corner was headed in by Trezeguet, sealing the historic win.
He had a slow start to the tournament, with a subdued display in the opening draw against Belgium and a quiet first half against New Zealand.
However, just as it seemed Salah's World Cup difficulties would persist, he emerged as the latest star to impact the tournament, joining the ranks of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane.
Following a disappointing 2018 World Cup and Egypt's failure to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, Salah, regarded as Egypt's greatest player, has finally made a significant impact on football's biggest stage.
He understands that a point against Iran would secure Egypt's progression to the next round, and they might not even require that result.
"It's a great achievement for all the players. It's a great win. It's a great vibe. The next game is very important."
Salah is now one goal away from equaling Egypt's all-time scoring record.
His contribution helped Egypt end a 92-year wait for a World Cup victory.
Bust-ups, injuries and defeats
Salah's club future remains uncertain after a challenging final season at Liverpool, which included a dispute with then-manager Arne Slot before Salah announced his departure this summer.
Despite transfer speculation linking him to various clubs worldwide, Salah prioritized Egypt's World Cup campaign to rectify past disappointments.
In 2018, Salah battled to be fit for the World Cup due to injury. Although included in the squad, he was limited to a substitute role in the opening defeat to Uruguay.
He scored a converted penalty in a 3-1 loss to host nation Russia but missed a key chance as Egypt suffered a humiliating defeat to Saudi Arabia.
The aftermath of that World Cup failure was significant, with Salah criticizing Egypt's Football Association for disrupting preparations and reports suggesting he considered retiring from international football.
Matters worsened as Egypt failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. After 45 minutes against New Zealand, it appeared Salah's World Cup misfortunes might continue.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan publicly denied any conflict with Salah after substituting him during the draw with Belgium.
Yet, when it seemed the match against Iran could be a final opportunity, Salah took control, igniting celebrations among Egyptian fans worldwide.
'Salah stood up for his country'
While Salah is a superstar at Liverpool, his status in Egypt is even greater.
Every touch he makes is met with loud cheers from Egyptian fans, who place immense pressure on him during each appearance.
The goal on Sunday marked his 68th for Egypt in 118 appearances, leaving him just one goal shy of manager Hassan's all-time scoring record. Many consider it his most important goal as it ended Egypt's 92-year wait for a World Cup victory.
Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou told ITV:
"If there was any doubt about Mo's impact on this team, you can still see it.
It will give them enormous belief. They had to deal with adversity and their big player stood up and that will give them big confidence. You need your big players to perform to progress."
Former Jamaica winger Jobi McAnuff added:
"Just when he was needed, Mo Salah stood up for his country."
Salah has represented the senior national team for 14 years, and his importance to Egypt is such that high-ranking government officials have intervened when he was injured.
Dr Mohamed Aboud, the national team medic, recalled the time Salah suffered a serious shoulder injury during Liverpool's defeat by Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final, which raised concerns about his participation in the 2018 World Cup:
"I even had calls from Egypt's Minister of Health."
Despite helping Liverpool win the Premier League titles in 2019-20 and 2024-25, Salah has yet to win a trophy with Egypt.
The generation before Salah won three consecutive Africa Cup of Nations titles between 2006 and 2010. Since then, Egypt has lost two finals: against Cameroon in 2017 and Senegal in the 2021 edition, held in early 2022.
This World Cup victory at least removes one of Egypt's longstanding burdens.
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