Written by: Badr Ahmed
The match between the Egyptian national team and their Belgian counterparts ended in a 1-1 draw, in the match that brought them together this evening at the Lloyd Stadium in Seattle, USA, as part of the opening round of the group in the 2026 World Cup, in the first official appearance of both teams in the global tournament.
The match kicked off at 10 pm Cairo and Mecca time, amidst an enthusiastic atmosphere and a large crowd, witnessing a strong start from both teams and early attempts to impose control over the course of the game.
A thrilling draw between Egypt and Belgium in the Pharaohs' first appearance at the World Cup
Egypt succeeded in opening the scoring in the 20th minute of the first half, through midfielder Emam Ashour, who launched a rocket shot from outside the penalty area after a brilliant pass from attacking captain Mohamed Salah, putting the Pharaohs in the lead.
The Egyptian team continued to press during the first half, with attempts to increase the score, while the Belgian team tried to come back without any real danger to goalkeeper Mustafa Shobeir’s goal, so the first half ended with Egypt leading by one goal.
In the second half, the Belgian team intensified its attacks, relying on the experience of its stars, and succeeded in scoring the equalizer in the 65th minute, after a ball rebounded off defender Mohamed Hany by mistake into his own net, bringing the match back to a draw.
The final minutes saw both sides making attempts to snatch a winning goal, with both teams wasting several clear chances, amidst outstanding performances from the defenses and goalkeepers, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
With this result, both Egypt and Belgium have earned one point at the start of their journey in the group, awaiting the outcome of the upcoming rounds, especially since the group is witnessing strong competition between the national teams of Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, New Zealand and Iran.
The Egyptian national team will enter its next match with high hopes of boosting its chances of qualifying for the second round of the tournament, after a strong performance in its opening appearance against one of the most prominent European teams.
