Belgium and Egypt shared the points in their FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group G opener, drawing 1-1 at Seattle Stadium after Emam Ashour’s breakthrough goal was cancelled out by a second-half own goal forced by Romelu Lukaku’s immediate impact off the bench.
Egypt looked set to claim a maiden FIFA World Cup victory after taking a first-half lead, only for Belgium to respond after the interval as Lukaku’s presence in the penalty area proved decisive. The result leaves both sides on one point after their opening match, with Group G also seeing New Zealand and IR Iran draw 2-2.
How the match unfolded in Seattle
Seattle hosted its first FIFA World Cup 2026™ match and, for long stretches, Egypt were on the verge of making history. The Pharaohs arrived with a notable World Cup record: prior to this Group G opener, they had never won a World Cup match, had kept only one clean sheet, and had led for just 29 minutes across their tournament history.
They extended that “time in front” tally in the 19th minute, taking the lead through Emam Ashour. The move was created by Mohamed Salah, with Ashour finishing emphatically. The Al Ahly midfielder took one touch to set himself before sweeping his shot through the legs of Thomas Meunier and beyond a diving Thibaut Courtois.
The goal carried extra significance for the scorer. It was Ashour’s first international goal, and it gave Egypt a slender advantage heading into half-time. With the lead intact at the break, Egypt were not only closing in on a first World Cup win, but also pushing beyond a long-standing historical marker: they had previously led World Cup matches for only 29 minutes in total, and this performance ensured they improved on that figure.
Belgium, however, found a route back into the contest through a key second-half change. Romelu Lukaku was introduced after the interval and made an immediate difference. Exactly 20 seconds after coming on, Lukaku strode into the penalty area to meet a cross from Meunier. Under pressure from Lukaku’s run and presence, Mohamed Hany diverted the ball into his own net, sending it past goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute.
The equaliser underlined Lukaku’s importance to Belgium, with the report noting it took “a man who is the second-highest European international goalscorer of all time” to help rescue a point. While the goal was officially recorded as an own goal by Hany, the moment was shaped by Lukaku’s instant involvement and Belgium’s ability to influence the game through their bench.
From there, the match remained level as Egypt held on for a draw that still represented progress in their World Cup story, even if it fell short of the win they had been closing in on for much of the afternoon.
Key takeaways: Ashour shines, both teams start with a point
Ashour’s performance stood out across the 90 minutes. He was named Superior Player of the Match after scoring the opener and helping Egypt carry their first-half advantage into the interval. His goal also marked a personal milestone as his first for the national team.
For Belgium, the match highlighted the value of squad depth and the impact of substitutions. Coach Rudi Garcia pointed to the difficulty of opening World Cup matches and emphasised Belgium’s resilience, noting that the team “stayed in the game” and equalised through a player introduced from the bench, which “shows just how important the whole squad is.”
Egypt forward Hamza Abdelkarim reflected on the effort required to earn the point, saying the team “gave it our all,” acknowledged Belgium’s quality, and added that “the atmosphere was great,” while thanking the fans.
In the Group G table after one match, Belgium and Egypt sit on one point each, alongside New Zealand and IR Iran, who also drew in their opener. With the group tightly balanced from the outset, the draw in Seattle ensures both Belgium and Egypt remain firmly in the early mix as the tournament continues.