New Zealand vs Egypt
New Zealand and Egypt are still searching for their maiden World Cup victory, but only one can get it when they convene at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday night to continue Group G action.
The All Whites almost secured their first-ever finals win in their World Cup 2026 opener against Iran, but they squandered their slender lead en route to a 2-2 draw at SoFi Stadium. The Pharaohs did the same against Belgium at Lumen Field earlier, and all four teams in the group have one point each heading into matchday two.
With Belgium favoured to win against Iran in Los Angeles, New Zealand and Egypt will treat their contest as a must-win to join the Red Devils at the top of Group G, as a victory puts them one step closer to the knockout phase.
Without further ado, here’s an SBOTOP preview of this match.
Talking Points
New Zealand have unearthed a deadly combo
New Zealand found a new goal-scoring hero during their 2-2 draw with Iran in their opening game, as Elijah Just scored twice in his finals debut. As such, the 26-year-old forward became the first All Whites player to record a brace in a World Cup match.
The Motherwell winger linked up with Chris Wood twice to be on the scoresheet. Just scored first in the seventh minute for his 10th goal for the national team, and after Iran equalised on the half-hour mark, he restored New Zealand’s advantage in the 54th minute, with the help of Wood once more. However, New Zealand couldn’t hold on, as Mohammed Mohebi levelled for the Middle East nation nine minutes later.
Before this, Just is fresh from an impressive debut campaign in the Scotland Premiership, having notched seven goals and seven assists in 35 league matches. He was part of the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year, and his recent display in Los Angeles could earn him a big transfer this summer.
Egypt could bring veteran attacker back in the mix
Egypt were held to a 1-1 draw against Belgium last time out, as Mohamed Hany’s own goal in the 66th minute cancelled out Emam Ashour’s early goal. The stalemate left the Pharaohs frustrated, especially since they felt they were robbed of a penalty when Zizo fell to the ground after attempting to cut past Maxim De Cuyper. Head coach Hossam Hassan sarcastically hugged the referee for the no-call.
Hassan has approached the finals without having to be over-reliant on Mohamed Salah, who has 67 goals in 117 caps, as he feels he has enough to support the former Liverpool winger.
Hassan recently shared that he might reintegrate Trezeguet into the rotation after the 31-year-old didn’t play against Belgium. The Al-Ahly forward can add to their attack, having contributed 23 goals in 96 caps.
History
Sunday marks only the second competitive encounter between New Zealand and Egypt. These two nations first faced off in an international friendly in March 2024, where Mostafa Mohamed scored the winning goal in the 29th minute.
New Zealand have drawn all four of their World Cup matches this century, and another stalemate would see them tie Belgium’s record of five consecutive draws in the finals set back in 2002. The All Whites come into this match in lacklustre form, having won only one of their last 11 matches across all competitions (D2, L8) – a 1-0 win over Ivory Coast in June 2025.
With three draws and five losses in the World Cup thus far, Egypt are on the brink of matching Honduras’ record for the most finals games played without ever winning (nine).
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds predict Egypt to grab their maiden finals win at the expense of New Zealand. The Pharaohs are 1.63 favourites, while the All Whites are big 5.60 underdogs, and a draw is valued at 3.72 in the 1X2 market.
However, we expect this match to be closer than expected, and there will be enough new World Cup 2026 highlights to go by, of course. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.00 at 1.63, Over 2.25 at 1.91, Over 2.50 at 2.14, and Over 2.75 at 2.53 to the parlay. However, if you fancy a low-scoring affair, check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Egypt – the result of their previous encounter – which offers a robust payday of 5.20 your bet. The same scoreline in favour of New Zealand, meanwhile, is at a much higher offer of 12.50.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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