FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: Uninspired Belgium held by impressive Egypt

An entertaining draw in Seattle saw an uninspired Belgium rescue a point through a Mohamed Hany own goal, cancelling out Emam Ashour’s stunning first-half strike for an outstanding Egypt side.

Egypt took a deserved lead in the 19th minute when talisman Mohamed Salah turned provider, setting up Ashour to fire past Koen Casteels. The Pharaohs looked comfortable and well worth their lead at the break as a sluggish Belgium struggled to find any creative rhythm.

Domenico Tedesco’s side found a lifeline midway through the second half, however, when pressure in the box forced Egypt defender Hany to turn the ball into his own net under pressure.

Substitute Romelu Lukaku injected much-needed urgency into the Belgian attack late on, but the striker spurned a golden opportunity to steal all three points, heading wide from close range in the final minutes.

The result leaves Belgium winless in their last three World Cup matches—their longest such streak since a seven-game run between 1994 and 2002—while Egypt’s disciplined, high-energy performance showed they will be no pushovers in Group G.