Belgium and Egypt open their 2026 World Cup Group G campaigns with a high-stakes clash at Seattle Stadium on Monday, in a fixture that could go a long way in shaping qualification from a competitive group.
With Belgium ranked ninth in the world and still searching for a defining moment from their so-called golden generation, Egypt arrive as dangerous outsiders ranked 29th and aiming to spring an early surprise in their fourth-ever World Cup appearance.
Match Preview
Belgium head into another major tournament carrying both expectation and uncertainty. After a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Rudi Garcia’s side will be eager to finally deliver on the promise of a talented generation that has consistently fallen short on the biggest stage.
In Qatar, Belgium managed just one win and failed to score in their final two group matches, finishing behind Croatia and Morocco in a frustrating early exit. Despite that setback, qualification for 2026 was more convincing, with the Red Devils topping their group comfortably and showcasing their attacking strength with 29 goals scored.
Recent form under Garcia has been encouraging, with Belgium winning three of their last four friendlies, including notable victories over the USA, Croatia and Tunisia, while keeping two clean sheets in their most recent outings.
Egypt, meanwhile, arrive at the tournament with growing confidence after a strong qualification campaign in which they topped their CAF group unbeaten. However, their World Cup history remains mixed, most notably a winless and goalless campaign in 2018.
The Pharaohs will also be eager to recover from their AFCON semi-final exit to Senegal earlier this year, but their recent form has been inconsistent, with two wins, two defeats and a draw in their last five matches.
Encouragingly, Egypt do hold a psychological edge in this fixture, having beaten Belgium 2-1 in their most recent meeting in November 2022, and they have won three of the four previous encounters between the two sides.
Recent Form
Belgium (all competitions):
D – W – W – D – W – W
Egypt (all competitions):
L – L – W – D – W – L
Team News
Belgium are expected to field a strong XI, with Thibaut Courtois set to start in goal. A backline featuring Arthur Theate and Nathan Ngoy is likely, while Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans anchor midfield.
Kevin De Bruyne will operate in the playmaker role, supported by wide threats Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku, with Romelu Lukaku leading the attack.
Egypt will be closely monitoring the fitness of Mohamed Salah, who is not fully recovered from a hamstring issue but is expected to start. His involvement will be key to Egypt’s attacking threat alongside Trezeguet, Omar Marmoush and Zizo.
Defensively, the Pharaohs are likely to rely on Yasser Ibrahim and Ramy Rabia, while Mohamed El Shenawy starts in goal. Hamdy Fathy and Mohanad Lashin are expected to form the midfield base.
Predicted Lineups
Belgium:
Courtois; Meunier, Ngoy, Theate, De Cuyper; Onana, Tielemans; Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku; Lukaku
Egypt:
El Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, Rabia, Fatouh; Lashin, Fathy; Salah, Trezeguet, Zizo; Marmoush
Prediction
Belgium undoubtedly carry more individual quality and attacking depth, but their tendency to underperform on the biggest stage continues to raise doubts.
Egypt, meanwhile, are well-organised and dangerous on the break, especially if Mohamed Salah is fully fit enough to influence the game.
This has all the ingredients of a tight opening encounter, with neither side likely to dominate for long spells.
Prediction: Belgium 1-1 Egypt
