Live Blog! Belgium VS Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026
Belgium and Egypt clash in a highly anticipated World Cup opener! The Red Devils enter the tournament with a revamped, fresh squad, while the Pharaohs are determined to make history and break their tournament drought
FULL-TIME
90'+2' | High tension on the Egypt bench! After seeing the replay of De Cuyper's challenge on the screens, manager Hossam Hassan completely lost his temper. The coach is furiously demanding a penalty, standing right on the touchline and putting massive pressure on the fourth official.
87' | Lukaku inches away from a brace! In the dying minutes of the match, Romelu Lukaku won his position in the heart of the box and connected with a powerful header, but the ball drifted just wide of the Egyptian goal. What a finish to this game!
80' | Game disrupted in the final stretch. Hamdi Fathy was trying to progress down the left flank when Belgium's Thomas Meunier blocked his path with a clear foul. The Pharaohs earn a good set-piece opportunity in opposition territory.
72' | Attacking foul. Jérémy Doku pressed too hard on the press and ended up committing an infraction against Mohanad Lasheen. The referee didn't hesitate to blow his whistle, giving Egypt's backline a safe set-piece in their own half.
66' | ⚽ GOAL FOR BELGIUM! THE EQUALIZER ARRIVES VIA AN OWN GOAL! 🇧🇪🔥 Fortune smiles on the Red Devils. In an unfortunate turn of events for the African defense, fullback Mohamed Hany ended up bundling the ball into his own net while trying to clear it. We are all square in Seattle! Belgium 1-1 Egypt.
62' | A lucky escape for Egypt by a whisker! Following a corner kick, the ball fell loose, and Youri Tielemans didn't hesitate to unleash a venomous, left-footed strike from the edge of the box. The low shot skimmed right past the base of the left post before the goalkeeper's watchful eyes.
57' | Defensive wall! Marwan Attia burst into the left side of the box and let fly with a powerful left-footed strike, but the Belgian defense reacted just in time to block the shot before the ball could find the target.
HALF-TIME
45'+1' | Belgium misses a huge chance in stoppage time! Charles De Ketelaere worked his magic and played Jérémy Doku right into the heart of the box; however, the Manchester City winger got too far under the ball, and his right-footed strike flew well over the crossbar.
40' | Defensive foul. Thomas Meunier arrived late and committed a foul on Emam Ashour while the Egyptian midfielder was trying to play the ball out of his own half. The referee blows for a free kick.
31' | A warning from Belgium! Youri Tielemans connected with a header in the center of the box following a precise cross from Timothy Castagne, but the ball drifted wide of the right post. A lucky escape for the opposition.
19' | ⚽ GOOOOOAAL FOR EGYPT! The deadlock is broken! 🔥🇪🇬 Emam Ashour steps up! Following a brilliant assist from Mohamed Salah, Ashour unleashed a low, right-footed drive from outside the box that crept right inside the bottom left post. Shock in Seattle, the Pharaohs take the lead! Belgium 0-1 Egypt.
13' 🟨 Yellow Card Marwan Attia goes into the book after committing a foul on Ngoy.
1' ⚽ KICK OFF!
The match is underway!
Belgium enters this tournament in the midst of a renewal process following the conclusion of its famous "golden generation." Under the tactical direction of Frenchman Rudi Garcia, the European side has bet on a new wave of footballers that combines young talent with experience in the continent's top leagues. Their World Cup qualification was achieved undefeated during the European qualifiers, confirming the solidity of a project that aims to compete for the top spots once again. In their final warm-up matches, the Belgians displayed a high competitive level with convincing victories over teams like Croatia and Tunisia, highlighting their offensive capacity and tactical discipline.
For their part, Egypt, led by Hossam Hassan, arrives with the hope of making history in a competition where they still have unfinished business. "The Pharaohs" are the only team with multiple World Cup appearances that has not yet managed to secure a victory in the tournament, accumulating two draws and five defeats in their history. However, the African side enters the competition following a solid qualification phase in Africa and a demanding preparation, including a goalless draw against Spain and a narrow defeat against Brazil—results that reflect their growing competitive level.
This Monday, June 15, Belgium and Egypt kick off their Group G journey at the 2026 FIFA World Cup™! Lumen Field plays host to a historic moment, as these two nations face each other for the very first time in World Cup history.










