SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 26: Mostafa Zico #11 of Egypt competes for a header against Emam Ashour #8 of Egypt during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Egypt and IR Iran at Seattle Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Cairo: Brazilian icon Zico lit up three World Cups as a player -- and 40 years after his final appearance at football's extravaganza his Egyptian namesake is keeping the name in the spotlight.
Zico, 29, rewarded coach Hossam Hassan for selecting him by becoming the first Egyptian at a World Cup to both score and provide an assist in the group stage win over New Zealand.
Egyptian great Mohamed Salah followed suit in the same match and both will hope for a repeat performance in Friday's last-32 game with Australia in Dallas.
Having said that Mostafa Mohamed Zaky Abdelraouf -- thankfully for commentators he is simply 'Zico' when playing -- owes his presence on the sport's biggest stage to his elder brother Abdelraouf.
The brothers had to cope with the death of their father when they were young -- Mostafa was just 14.
Abdelraouf gave up his dreams of footballing glory so his younger sibling could enjoy it instead -- he focused on the family shop, selling clothes.
"After the death of our father we shouldered our responsibilities by working together," Abdelraouf told AFP.
"Then I decided to stop football so I could focus on Mostafa's career.
"Later we closed the shop so we could devote ourselves entirely to his career."
It was also thanks to Abdelraouf hanging up his boots that Mostafa assumed sole rights to Zico.
"When I played football my name was very long, so my uncle affectionately gave me the nickname 'Zico', because it sounds similar to when you pronounce Zaki and also because he loved the Brazilian player Zico.
"When Mostafa began playing he was called 'Little Zico' but assumed the name 'Zico' after I retired."
Mostafa paid tribute to the selflessness of his brother after the victory over New Zealand.
"I dedicate this victory and the goal to my mother and my brother Abdelraouf, who was like a father to me after our own died," he said.
"I would have loved our father to still be alive to witness what I accomplished, but I know he would be proud of us."
'Zico' was, he admitted, after the New Zealand game surprised to be at the World Cup and had planned to be "on holiday on the north coast of Egypt" in June and July.
"Here I am playing and scoring at a World Cup," he said.
He has earned it after doing the hard yards from playing in the Egyptian second tier and eventually attracting the attention of historic club Pyramids, playing a pivotal role as they won the domestic cup last season.
He is no stranger to scoring at international level -- perhaps why Hassan opted for him for the World Cup ahead of more experienced players.
He came on and scored the only goal of the match in a friendly with Russia and then also hit the back of the net in their final World Cup friendly against Brazil.
That goal prompted his Brazilian namesake -- who coincidentally scored a double against New Zealand at the 1982 World Cup -- to congratulate him via a video.
The great man's congratulations were rather more conservative, understandably, than the ones that followed his exploits in the New Zealand match.
"After the match, neighbours, friends and others who live in the city stood outside our house celebrating," Abdelraouf told AFP.
"Everyone loves Moustafa, he deserves that.
"We are convinced he will continue to shine and the team will go deep into the tournament."
The Brazilian legend never lifted the World Cup trophy and while it is hard to imagine 'Zico' achieving that, the dream is still very much alive.
