SEATTLE, June 16, 2026 — Egypt delivered an impressive performance to earn a deserved 1–1 draw against FIFA World Cup contenders Belgium in their opening Group G match in Seattle on Monday, and were unfortunate not to leave with all three points.
Facing one of world football’s established powers, the Pharaohs matched Belgium throughout and produced one of their most assured displays on the global stage.
Egypt took a surprise but fully deserved lead in the 19th minute through Emam Ashour. After collecting a perfectly weighted pass from captain Mohamed Salah, Ashour found space before unleashing a powerful long-range strike that beat Thibaut Courtois and nestled in the bottom corner.
Belgium enjoyed spells of possession but struggled to break down Egypt’s disciplined defensive set-up. Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Zico and Salah repeatedly threatened on the counter-attack, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir commanded his area confidently whenever called into action.
The Pharaohs nearly doubled their advantage shortly after the restart. Salah’s intelligent movement created space inside the penalty area before his downward header forced an excellent save from Courtois. Moments later, Marmoush came close after surging through the Belgian defence.
Belgium eventually found an equaliser in the 66th minute, although fortune played a significant role. Shortly after Romelu Lukaku’s introduction, a dangerous delivery from the right caused confusion inside the Egyptian penalty area, with Mohamed Hany unfortunately turning the ball into his own net under pressure.
Despite the setback, Egypt refused to sit back. The North Africans continued to threaten and came close to restoring their lead, while Shobeir produced an outstanding late save to deny Brandon Mechele and preserve the draw.
At the final whistle, Egypt emerged with a valuable point against one of football’s traditional heavyweights and will take confidence from a performance that suggested they can compete strongly in Group G.
The seven-time African champions return to FIFA World Cup action on June 22, when they face New Zealand at 01:00 GMT.
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