Stars like Mohamed Salah make World Cup magical for Seattle sports fans

After knifing through New Zealand’s box and burying a goal 92 years in the making, Mohamed Salah effectively summarized the stakes. He stood inside Vancouver’s BC Place stadium Sunday, minutes removed from the first World Cup win in Egypt’s soccer history, with stray gray hairs in his neat black beard. With magic in his famous, 34-year-old feet.

Egypt had previously played eight World Cup matches in 92 years, producing three draws and five losses, heartbreaks further intensified by decades-long droughts.

But droughts don’t last long in the Pacific Northwest.

“Today I think is a very special day,” Salah said after Sunday’s 3-1 win. “It’s our first [World Cup] win ever. I told them already in the huddle, ‘Guys, we can write history today, and also next game. If you qualify first in the group, people will remember it for years to come.’”

Alas, Egypt did not qualify first, finishing second in Group G behind Belgium. But after earning a 1-1 draw with Iran inside Seattle Stadium on Friday, the Pharaohs will nevertheless advance to the knockout stage.

Meanwhile, Salah was substituted in the 57^th minute, a strange decision considering the stakes. But first, the longtime Liverpool winger and two-time Premier League Player of the Season unfurled flashes of his trademark form. He danced and swiveled, gracefully defying defenders’ feet in bright pink cleats. He wiggled past Iran’s Ali Nemati to coax a yellow card before halftime.

He may not have done enough to quiet his critics, who wonder if Salah’s magic is finally fading. The 5-foot-9 forward, who led the Premier League in scoring in four separate seasons, managed just seven goals in 23 Premier League starts in 2025-26. It’s unclear if he’ll return to Liverpool for a 10^th consecutive season this summer.

But here in Seattle? We’ll remember Salah.

After all, this proximity to excellence is part of what makes the World Cup great.

We’ll remember the headliners who keep writing history.

Like Argentinian magician Lionel Messi, who has netted five goals in his team’s first two World Cup games. (While the 39-year-old Messi continues to conquer, an 85-foot, 70-ton steel statue of the 5-foot-7 striker was recently completed in Patagonia.)

Like French missile Kylian Mbappe, who notched two goals apiece in wins over Senegal and Iraq. Like his teammate, Ousmane Dembele, who delivered a first-half hat trick in France’s 4-1 win over Norway Friday.

Like 6-foot-5 Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, an unmovable mountain barreling into opposing boxes, who snagged two goals against Iraq and Senegal. Like swaggering Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, who has stockpiled four goals and an assist in three World Cup games. Like 32-year-old England mainstay Harry Kane, who came through with two goals against Croatia. Like 41-year-old Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, whose own magic is wavering, but mustered two goals against Uzbekistan anyway.

This World Cup, of course, hasn’t come without controversy. Friday’s match was predetermined by Seattle’s local organizing committee to double as a Pride celebration, only for FIFA to schedule Iran and Egypt, countries where same-sex relationships are criminalized. Iran’s ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel also made it unclear whether for months if the Iranians would participate at all.

On Friday, though, soccer remained the focus inside Seattle Stadium. In the fifth minute, Egypt’s Mahmoud Saber banged a goal through Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand. Iran answered less than 10 minutes later, when Ramin Rezaeian roofed a rebound into the top of the Egyptian net. He sprinted to the corner and pulled the Pharaohs’ jersey over his face, before kneeling in apparent prayer.

Even without a goal-scoring Salah, or a definitive winner, Friday’s match delivered for fans. Egypt goalie Mostafa Shoubir bounced on his feet, before guessing right and diving left to deny Iran’s Mehdi Taremi on a penalty kick. Entire sections remained standing throughout the entire game. In the 93^rd minute, an Iranian winner from Shoja Khalilzadeh momentarily shook the stadium, before an offside call cruelly disallowed the goal on replay.

Of course, this stadium has shook before. Seattle sports fans have seen history written.

This is an imperfect tournament, complete with heartbreak and political tentacles extending outside the pitch. But for 57 minutes, we got to watch Salah’s magic feet on Friday. We get to see history written for a few more weeks.