SEATTLE, Wash. – The opening Group G match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered a tense 1-1 draw between European powerhouse Belgium and African side Egypt on Monday, as a late second-half own goal erased Egypt’s early lead and spoiled a potential birthday fairytale for Egypt’s star forward Mohamed Salah.
Played in front of a packed crowd in the Pacific Northwest, the match got off to a surprising start when 26-year-old midfielder Emam Ashour broke the deadlock just before the first-half hydration break. Picking up the ball in nearly the same position where Kevin De Bruyne had launched an early dangerous effort just minutes prior, Ashour fired a perfectly placed strike into the bottom-right corner of the net, leaving Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with no chance to make a save. This historic goal marked only the second time in Egypt’s World Cup history that the North African nation has held a lead in a tournament match, with the first coming from Salah himself in a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia at the 2018 World Cup.
The result leaves Egypt’s long-running search for its first-ever World Cup win intact, a drought that has stretched across four appearances in the global tournament. Egypt, a seven-time winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, still has Group G fixtures upcoming against Iran and New Zealand, leaving the squad optimistic that it can break its long-standing hoodoo on North American soil.
“We know Belgium are a good team with high-quality players, but we don’t treat this match as harder or easier than any other. We go into every game aiming to take all three points,” said 18-year-old Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim, one of Egypt’s rising young talents.
For Belgium, the draw extends a winless drought that now spans three consecutive World Cup matches dating back to their group-stage exit from the 2022 tournament in Qatar. This World Cup is widely viewed as the final shot at glory for the remaining core of Belgium’s celebrated golden generation, who claimed a third-place finish at the 2018 Russia World Cup but have never lifted the sport’s biggest trophy. Veterans De Bruyne, Courtois, and all-time leading Belgian goalscorer Romelu Lukaku remain key figures in manager Rudi Garcia’s 2026 squad.
“Opening matches at a tournament as big as the World Cup are always a huge test, especially when you’re up against one of the top-ranked teams on the African continent,” Garcia told reporters after the match. “We were able to find the equalizer through a substitute, which just goes to show how critical every member of the squad is for success this tournament.”
All eyes going into the match were fixed on the clash between two of world football’s biggest superstars: Salah and De Bruyne. It was De Bruyne who created the first clear chance of the game in the seventh minute, pulling a sharp, powerful effort just wide of the goal. Early in the second half, the Belgian playmaker came even closer to leveling the score, whipping a close-range free kick over Egypt’s defensive wall that crashed off the outside of the post, inches away from going in.
At the other end of the pitch, Salah responded with a dangerous chance of his own, slipping into the Belgian penalty box unmarked to connect with a downward header that was pushed away by a quick reaction from Courtois. Ashour rushed in for the follow-up but misfired on the attempt, leaving Egypt’s lead intact through the hour mark. As the half wore on, the game opened up, with both sides creating multiple close opportunities, including a blistering left-footed volley from Belgian captain Youri Tielemans that went off target.
In the 65th minute, Garcia made the game-changing substitution, bringing Lukaku off the bench to add attacking pressure. The change paid off almost immediately: when right back Thomas Meunier sent a cross into the Egyptian penalty area, Lukaku’s aggressive run toward the six-yard box forced Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany to misplay the ball, knocking it into his own net for the Belgian equalizer.
With 15 minutes left to play, Egypt made a tactical substitution of their own, removing Salah to shore up their defense and protect the 1-1 scoreline. The gambit worked, as Egypt held off late Belgian pressure to secure a valuable point in their opening group fixture.