All Whites v Egypt: All you need to know about FIFA World Cup group G match
Monday, 22 June 2026
What you need to know
The All Whites face Egypt at BC Place in Vancouver in their second FIFA World Cup match. Kick-off is at 1pm Monday NZT, live on TVNZ+ and TVNZ 1, with live updates here on Stuff.
Both sides are chasing an historic first World Cup win after opening with draws against Iran and Belgium respectively.
Auckland FC forward Logan Rogerson has been called into the All Whites squad as an injury replacement for Matt Garbett, who has been ruled out of the World Cup with a hamstring injury.
Premier League forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush spearhead Egypt’s attack.
What to expect
Both teams will target this match as a chance to secure a breakthrough World Cup win after surrendering early leads in their opening-game draws.
Egypt start as overwhelming favourites, but the All Whites pushed them close when the sides met in Cairo in 2024, losing 1-0 after conceding a first-half penalty.
With Belgium to come in their final group G match, New Zealand will be eager to avoid needing a result in that game to advance, adding extra significance to this fixture.
Don't expect coach Darren Bazeley to make many changes, if any, after an encouraging attacking display against Iran. However, the All Whites will need to be tighter defensively after looking vulnerable on the counter-attack.
Limiting the influence of Salah and Marmoush in dangerous areas will be crucial against an Egyptian side boasting world-class attacking talent.
Squads
All Whites
GK: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Woud; DF: Callan Elliot, Tim Payne; Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman; Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries; MF: Lachlan Bayliss, Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Eli Just, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenić, Ryan Thomas; FW: Kosta Barbarouses, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Ben Waine, Chris Wood.
Egypt
GK: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El-Mahdi Soliman, Mohamed Alaa; DF: Mohamed Abdelmonem, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Ahmed Fattouh, Tarek Alaa, Rami Rabia, Hamdi Fathi, Karim Hafez; MF: Mohamed Salah, Marwan Attia, Ahmed Mostafa “Zizo”, Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, Emam Ashour, Mostafa Abdel Raouf, Mohannad Lasheen, Haitham Hassan, Mahmoud Saber, Ibrahim Adel, Nabil Emad; FW: Omar Marmoush, Hamza Abdel Karim.
Form
The All Whites opened their World Cup campaign with a pulsating 2-2 draw against Iran after midfielder Eli Just scored goals in each half. Egypt were also held to a 1-1 draw by Belgium, with midfielder Emam Ashour finding the net.
What they said
All Whites defender Michael Boxall: “The last four or five years of the Prem [English Premier League] is just a Salah highlight reel. It’s going to take a full team effort. Everyone has to be really on their game and I think we need to raise the bar defensively from the Iran game, and just make sure our positioning when we have the ball limits their space on the counter.”
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan: “New Zealand is a very strong side. We respect them really highly and this match is going to be one of the most important for us in this tournament. Our opponent should not be underestimated. We want to win and they want to win as well.”
All Whites goalkeeper Max Crocombe: “We want to be able to get one goal and win the game. We know that’s a difficult task and it’s easy to say that, but those are the demands we put on ourselves. I feel we managed the game really well [against Iran]. From their point of view, their second goal was a great goal, really sharp, really quick and a great delivery, but that’s the level you’re playing at.”
Players to watch
Eli Just (All Whites): The diminutive midfielder announced himself on football’s biggest stage with a brace on his World Cup debut, combining brilliantly with captain Chris Wood to become the first All Whites player to score twice in a World Cup match.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt): A world-class right winger and Liverpool legend, Salah announced he would leave the club ahead of the World Cup after scoring a remarkable 257 goals in nine seasons. Regardless of how far New Zealand progress, he looms as one of the biggest stars the All Whites could face in the tournament.
History
The All Whites and Egypt last met in 2024, when Egypt claimed a 1-0 win in coach Hossam Hassan’s first game in charge after Nando Pijnaker conceded a first-half penalty. Sarpreet Singh came closest to equalising, striking the post with a second-half free-kick. Neither Wood nor Salah featured in that match.