New Zealand’s national soccer team probably should’ve checked their scouting reports before issuing a post on social media.
Ahead of their match against Egypt on Sunday night in Vancouver, the team’s official social media account shared some pictures from the team’s locker room.
While the four snaps seemed to be fairly generic at first — a World Cup 2026 logo, Elijah Just’s jersey, and a ceremonial flag — fans were quick to notice something very wrong.
On the flag, which is presented to the opposing team’s captain during pre-game handshakes, New Zealand incorrectly spelled the name of their opponent, Egypt. Instead, the flag read “New Zealand vs. Eygpt,” along with the date and location of the match.
Users on social media pointed out the error and made some jokes about it.
“Which confederation does EYGPT play for?” one user replied.
“EYGPT, the latest AI app,” another wrote.
While the mistake was quickly spotted, the team apparently either didn’t notice or didn’t have a backup option. In the pre-game team photos and during the ceremony, the flag with the spelling mistake was used.
Who won the New Zealand-Egypt match?
Sunday’s matchup against the African side started out well enough for the All Whites, taking a first-half lead on a header by Finn Surman.
But the Pharoahs stormed back in the second half, getting three goals to win the 3-1 and secure the country’s first-ever World Cup victory.
Mostafa Zico scored first in the 58th minute followed by another by former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. Trezeguet then put things out of reach in the 82nd minute.
The Kiwis now must beat Belgium in their final group stage matchup to have any chance of advancing to the knockout stage. The European side will be a tough opponent, having come into the tournament ranked No. 10 in the world.
However, the Red Devils have been able to only muster two draws in their opening matches, including a 0-0 result against Iran on Sunday after going down to 10 men following Nathan Ngoy’s red card.