Egypt and Belgium drew 1-1 on Monday afternoon at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Wash. on Matchday 1 of Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Emam Ashour scored for the Pharaohs while an own goal leveled the score for the Red Devils.
Belgium got the first shot early, when Kevin De Bruyne received the ball from the top of the eighteen in the 7th minute. From there, the attacking midfielder struck the ball toward the left bottom corner of the goal, but it went just wide.
In the 14th minute, a strong defensive effort from Egypt found Belgium dispossessed and Mohamed Salah with the ball down the center of the pitch. Just when it looked like a counterattack was about to take place, the forward was pulled down by Belgium left back Timothy Castagne, who was booked a yellow card after the fact.
A persistent Egypt side got on the scoresheet five minutes later when Salah played a beautiful pass to a wide open Ashour, who blasted the ball from distance into the bottom left corner of the net to give his team the opening lead.
Following a quick water break, Belgium recommenced play with immediate pressure with a De Bruyne shot from inside the box in the 28th minute, but a save from Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir and a foul called on Thomas Meunier prevented the potential opportunity to level the score for the Red Devils.
Egypt nearly tallied their second goal of the day in the 33rd minute when Salah found Zico on the right side of the eighteen. But, his powerful strike across the face of the goal was saved by Thibaut Courtois, who made a strong diving effort, tipping the ball away from danger.
A goal-scoring chance for Belgium came in the 39th minute when De Bruyne laid the ball to Leandro Trossard at the top of the box. His strike, however, was cleared by Yasser Ibrahim.
An additional opportunity came for the Red Devils in the first minute of added time with a bouncing ball toward Doku near the spot, but his volley attempt blasted over the goal.
Just before the half, Egypt had a chance at goal when a Nathan Ngoy header back to Courtois was short. Omar Marmoush got a hold of it and took a shot from the left side of the box, resulting in the Belgium keeper making a save.
Egypt came out firing in the second half when Salah found Zico in the center of the box for a knock at goal in the 48th minute. His shot was stopped by multiple Belgium players and Marmoush’s follow-up attempt was also blocked.
Belgium earned a free kick in the 52nd minute when Doku was fouled just outside the eighteen. While it looked as if the set-piece was going in, the ball struck the left post.
Salah was inches away from extending the lead to two for the Pharaohs when a cross from the left flank found his head from close range in the 52nd minute. But, Courtois read the play well, saving the redirected header for Belgium.
In the 62nd minute, Belgium’s Youri Tielemans displayed a beautiful volley off a mis-cleared corner, but the powerful shot went just wide of the goal.
Belgium's equalizer came in the 66th minute when — seconds into subbing on — Romelu Lukaku forced an own goal for Egypt after crashing the box. Sandwiched between Ibrahim and Hany, the veteran attacker ultimately guided the ball into the goal with his sprinting effort toward the net.
In the 83rd minute, De Bruyne’s set-piece attempt was punched out by Shobeir, but Belgium continued the attack when a chipped ball set up Mechele perfectly to head the ball into the net. Shobeir’s goalkeeping talents came up big, racking up another save to keep the score 1-1.
It was a back and forth battle in the final moments of the match, with both sides having opportunities to take the win, but after 90 minutes and added time, Belgium and Egypt left their first World Cup match of 2026 with a point a piece.
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THREE TAKEAWAYS
Egypt’s first World Cup win will have to wait
Egypt remain without a victory in World Cup history after drawing 1–1 with Belgium on Monday. The Pharaohs have now played eight World Cup matches across four tournaments (1934, 1990, 2018, and 2026) without recording a win. Their next opportunity to earn their first World Cup victory comes against New Zealand on June 21.
Immediate impact by Lukaku
Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer Romelu Lukaku came on in the 66th minute and made an instant influence. Less than a minute into entering the pitch, his attacking efforts inside the box resulted in an own goal from Egypt.
Belgium unbeaten streak continues
Belgium are unbeaten in 14 matches following today’s fixture against Egypt. In the lead-up to the World Cup, the team had a total of nine wins and four draws.
