Egypt began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Iran in Group G. The match, played at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, saw Mohamed Salah open the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after a handball by Iranian defender Majid Hosseini. Iran equalised just before half-time through a stunning long-range strike from Saeid Ezatolahi that beat Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.
Second-Half Decider
Egypt regained the lead in the 58th minute when Mostafa Mohamed rose highest to head home a cross from Ahmed Fathy. Iran pushed for an equaliser but were denied by a combination of solid defending and a fine save from El Shenawy in the 82nd minute, who tipped a header from Mehdi Taremi onto the crossbar.
Key Statistics
Egypt dominated possession with 58% and had 12 shots on goal compared to Iran's 8. The win puts Egypt top of Group G, level on points with Portugal, who beat Morocco 1-0 earlier in the day. Iran will look to bounce back in their next match against Morocco.
