Egypt were denied a historic first FIFA World Cup victory as Belgium fought back to earn a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener, with Emam Ashour and Romelu Lukaku playing key roles.
FIFA WC 2026: Ashour strikes, Hany own goal denies Egypt historic win against Belgium (Photo credit: FIFA/X)
Egypt came agonisingly close to securing their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory before being held to a 1-1 draw by Belgium in an entertaining Group G encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Pharaohs looked set for a famous win after Emam Ashour’s first international goal gave them the lead in the 19th minute. The move was sparked by Mohamed Salah, whose perfectly weighted through ball split the Belgian defence and allowed Ashour to calmly slot past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
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Egypt then produced a disciplined defensive display, frustrating Belgium’s star-studded attack for much of the contest and protecting their advantage deep into the second half.
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However, Belgium found a route back into the match in the 66th minute when substitute Romelu Lukaku’s presence inside the box caused confusion in the Egyptian defence. Thomas Meunier’s dangerous delivery was inadvertently turned into his own net by defender Mohamed Hany, handing Belgium a crucial equaliser.
Despite the disappointment of conceding, Egypt’s performance marked a significant step forward on football’s biggest stage. The North Africans not only earned a valuable point but also surpassed their previous record of 29 minutes spent leading in World Cup matches.
The result leaves Group G finely balanced, with Egypt taking plenty of confidence from a display that pushed one of Europe’s traditional heavyweights all the way.
“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,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia was quoted as saying by FIFA.
Egypt forward Hamza Abdelkarim said, “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.”
(With agency inputs)
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