Egypt hold Belgium to 1-1 draw in World Cup opener
Short overview
Emam Ashour scored his first international goal to give Egypt a historic lead, but Romelu Lukaku's presence led to an own goal as Belgium salvaged a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle.
Egypt came within minutes of securing their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory, only for a second-half own goal to allow Belgium to escape with a 1-1 draw in the Group G opener at Seattle's newly opened World Cup venue.
Ashour opens scoring on his birthday
Emam Ashour marked his 34th birthday with his first international goal, giving Egypt a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. The Al Ahly midfielder received a pass from Mohamed Salah, took a touch to control, and swept a shot through the legs of Thomas Meunier and past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It was the first time Egypt had led a World Cup match for more than 29 minutes, improving on their previous record.
Lukaku's impact turns the tide
Belgium struggled to break down a resolute Egyptian defense until the introduction of Romelu Lukaku in the second half. Within 20 seconds of coming on, the striker charged into the box to meet a cross from Meunier. His presence forced defender Mohamed Hany to inadvertently poke the ball past his own goalkeeper, Mostafa Shoubir, for an own goal in the 66th minute.
Lukaku, the second-highest European international goalscorer of all time, proved decisive despite not scoring himself. The equalizer kept Belgium's hopes alive in a group that also includes other strong contenders.
Historic context for Egypt
Egypt entered the match having never won a World Cup game and having kept only one clean sheet in the tournament's history. While they failed to secure a victory, they led for a significant portion of the match, a milestone for the Pharaohs. The draw leaves both teams with one point each in Group G.
Quotes from the match
"The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa’s top teams like Egypt. The important thing is that we stayed in the game. We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is. It was a great game between two very good teams." — Rudi Garcia, Belgium coach
"We got one point at the end but we gave it our all. We know Belgium are a good team with good quality players and the atmosphere was great so we need to thank the fans." — Hamza Abdelkarim, Egypt forward
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