Belgium were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against a spirited Egyptian side in their opening Group G encounter at the 2026 World Cup, with substitute Romelu Lukaku netting an almost immediate equaliser to salvage a point for the Europeans on Monday.
The Pharaohs, defying expectations, took a shock lead in the 19th minute through Emam Ashour, who capitalised on a Mohamed Salah assist to send the Egyptian faithful into raptures.
Belgium, despite their star-studded line-up, struggled to break down a well-organised Egyptian defence for much of the match.
However, the introduction of Romelu Lukaku proved to be the turning point. Barely 60 seconds after coming off the bench in the 66th minute, the powerful striker pounced on an opportunity to level the score, turning in an own goal from Egypt’s Mohamed Hany to restore parity.
Despite late pressure from Belgium, including a substitution in the 75th minute for Maxim De Cuyper, Egypt held firm to secure a valuable point against one of the tournament favourites. The result leaves Group G wide open as both teams look ahead to their next fixtures.
