The second game of the hotly contested Group G at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will see surprise package New Zealand go head-to-head with Egypt, with one eye on three points and a spot in the knockouts up for grabs with a win.
For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.
The All Whites continue what has been an impressive unbeaten run in men’s World Cup games after a thrilling 2–2 draw against Iran in their opening game, though they will be well aware of the fact that they did eventually let two points slip from their grasp after letting Iran come back into the game twice after taking the lead.
Elijah Just rightly received the plaudits for his well-taken brace that put the Kiwis ahead twice, but star man Chris Wood also had a great game after returning to fitness for the national side following a spell on the sidelines due to injury. New Zealand used the direct route of play to great effect, with their keeper launching long balls straight to Wood and his excellent hold-up play bringing the others into the game. They will need to improve on the defensive side of things, though, given that they let two goals in.
Egypt, on the other hand, began their tournament with a 1–1 draw against a much-more-fancied Belgium side and were good value for their point against their higher-rated opponents.
The Pharaohs will be pretty impressed with their defensive actions against Belgium, where they were more than able to hold their own against an attack comprising Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku, and Leandro Trossard, having marshalled said players rather effectively through most of the game.
That they didn’t sit back and instead looked to build upon their lead is another facet that will have impressed head coach Hossam Hassan, and they will definitely look to build on it against much more favourable opposition this time around.
We believe Egypt start this game as clear favourites, despite the fact that New Zealand have enough players in their ranks to cause an upset here.
Score Prediction: New Zealand 1–4 Egypt
Venue: BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
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