Egypt produced a spirited performance to earn a valuable 1-1 draw against Belgium in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G opener.
The Pharaohs took the lead in the 19th minute when Emam Ashour finished calmly after a brilliant through ball from Mohamed Salah, scoring his first international goal. Egypt defended resolutely and looked set for a historic World Cup victory, frustrating Belgium’s star-studded attack for much of the match. However, Belgium equalised in the 66th minute when Mohamed Hany inadvertently turned Thomas Meunier’s dangerous cross into his own net under pressure from substitute Romelu Lukaku.
Despite the disappointment, Egypt claimed an important point and delivered one of their most impressive World Cup performances in recent history.