Mohamed Salah has his cathartic World Cup moment and is happy to let all hear it
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Mohamed Salah, right, celebrated a goal and a win at the World Cup following a 3-1 triumph over New Zealand Anne-Marie Sorvin / Imagn Images
By Joshua KlokeJune 22, 2026 UpdatedVANCOUVER, British Columbia — As a small group of reporters turned a corner in the bowels of BC Place, another even smaller group ahead began shuffling their feet with urgency.
Word had filtered out from the mixed zone that Mohamed Salah, the legendary Premier League striker, was taking questions after scoring in Egypt’s first World Cup victory ever. And there Salah was, standing barefoot on a small podium, the Player of the Game trophy clutched between his hands.
“The only thing I would say,” Salah said, before in fact saying many more things, “(is) we just gave it our best and we achieved something I think is very difficult in history to happen. We need to be hopeful to win the next game and be the first in the group. We just enjoyed the football and (gave) it all for our people.”
Salah was speaking, having chosen to beat the rush of reporters. There were large pools of Egyptian media standing outside the mixed zone hugging each other, making FaceTime calls home to people with tears in their eyes and sending quick video hits back to their editors after Salah, The Egyptian King, scored his team’s second goal in a 3-1 win over New Zealand.
How could they have known the greatest player in their country’s history was commemorating his World Cup moment with an open mic? How could they have known he was about to hold court with a fraction of the number of reporters who usually try to get him to speak in England? How could they have known that this rare occasion was about to unfold?
In England, Salah usually blows through the mixed zone, eyes forward with nothing to share. Speaking with the media is clearly not a part of the job he enjoys. That was even more obvious through an increasingly trying final season at Liverpool, in which Salah played less than usual and looked disgruntled as his minutes dwindled.
One of the greatest players in Premier League history typically only speaks when he has a point to make.
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On this historic night, Salah’s point was simple: he wanted to share joy.
“We just do our best in the tournament to make the people happy in Egypt, and I think right now they are happy and proud,” Salah said. “The only thing I can promise them is just that we sweat and we run and we give it our best.”
As a reporter who never gets close to Salah, I have formed an image of him in my mind: that of a player being desolate when it comes to dealing with media. In a great coincidence, I spent much of the time before an earlier World Cup game in Vancouver chatting with a Liverpool-based colleague about how little players at Liverpool speak to the media, compared to Canadian athletes.
Being at the helm of your country’s first World Cup win sure changes things.
Salah ended his final difficult season at Liverpool with an uncertain future. Where he plays next still remains to be seen. He did not exit Liverpool on top of the world. His personal club future lingers over Egypt’s World Cup, one that currently see the Pharaohs atop Group G and with a 61 per cent chance of winning the group, according to The Athletic’s World Cup tracker.
But for one stunning night in Western Canada, his club future was not the focus, and perhaps that moment of catharsis is what prompted Salah to let down his guard. Salah’s unshakeable aura as he proudly answered questions was a rare reminder of the good of the World Cup.
Mohamed Salah leaps after scoring Egypt’s second goal vs New Zealand (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Salah, who previously scored two goals in Egypt’s futile 2018 World Cup group effort despite playing with an injured shoulder, looked to his right when a question came in English about what this means for him, personally, after his season. He opted for positivity. He wanted to talk about what this win means for him with the Egyptian national team. In a sense, with his goal and the win, he answered questions about his role with the team and what they are capable of with him. But he expanded beyond that.
“I’ve been in the national team for 14 years, so I always give my best for the national team and try to give my experience to the younger players to help them to achieve big things,” Salah said. “Today was a very special day, because it’s our first win ever. And I told them already in the huddle, I told them, ‘Guys … we can write history today and also next game if you qualify first with the group.’ I think it’s (something) we will remember for years to come.”
Salah probably could have dodged questions if he really wanted to. It wouldn’t have been out of character. He took just five and calmly, but still smiling, moved out of the mixed zone. But prior to that, Salah would have looked up into the stands at BC Place — which he likened to a home game given the volume of red-clad Egyptian fans — and seen the tears in the eyes of his supporters. He would have seen reporters who are his countrymen shake with glee.
He would have seen what a first World Cup win can do.
As he spoke, more Egyptian reporters arrived to the mixed zone in various states of shock. Some literally threw their bags to the ground as they reached for their phones. They had to capture the rare bird: a smiling, ebullient national hero waxing poetic and putting the night in perspective.
“We were not lucky with this group to win the African Cup (of Nations), but we qualified to the final two times,” he said, referring to Egypt’s most recent close calls achieving success. “And yeah, we were not lucky enough to win it, because we lost also on penalties.
“We were lucky to win the game today. I think it was a better game. We played against a tough team and a tough group, so now we are on top of the group. And we just need to celebrate … and just focus on the last game.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
