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TRIBUNNEWS.COM - The Belgian national team will face Egypt in their opening Group G match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place at the Seattle Stadium in the United States on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) at 02:00 WIB.

This encounter is expected to be one of the decisive fixtures in Group G, which also features Iran and New Zealand. A positive result in the opening match will have a significant impact on each team’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

On paper, Belgium are the favourites. The Red Devils arrive at this tournament ranked ninth in the FIFA standings, while Egypt sit at 29th in the world.

However, Belgium must remain cautious. Egypt have a solid record when facing Belgium, having even won their most recent meeting 2-1 in November 2022.

Belgium in a Transition Phase

Football enthusiast Gigih W believes that the Belgian national team is currently undergoing a transition from its golden generation to a new era.

Nevertheless, Gigih notes that Rudi Garcia continues to employ the 4-3-3 formation that has been in place since Roberto Martinez’s tenure.

“Belgium are in a transition phase. After the era of Kevin De Bruyne, Jan Vertonghen, and Toby Alderweireld, who have now retired, only Courtois, De Bruyne, and Lukaku remain in the squad,” said Gigih W during the Super Taktik podcast at the Tribunnews Solo office in Karanganyar, Central Java.

“This means Belgium are now bringing new faces such as Jeremy Doku and Alexis Saelemaekers into the fold.”

“What’s interesting is that coach Rudi Garcia is quite experienced in handling such transitions, having already proven his success with Lille.”

“Garcia also maintains a similar approach, sticking to a 4-3-3 system much like Roberto Martinez before him,” he added.

Gigih further assessed that Belgium’s main challenge lies in their attacking line.

This is particularly due to Romelu Lukaku having had limited playing time at his club following an injury.

Belgium Aim to Erase 2022 World Cup Disappointment

The 2026 World Cup presents Belgium with an opportunity to redeem themselves after their shock early exit in Qatar.

At that time, Belgium’s golden generation was surprisingly eliminated in the group stage, securing only one win from three matches.

Now under the guidance of Rudi Garcia, Belgium are hoping to turn the page and start fresh.

Their journey to the 2026 World Cup was convincing. Belgium topped their qualifying group with 18 points from eight matches.

Their attacking productivity was a major strength, netting 29 goals and conceding only seven during the qualification campaign.

Another positive sign came from their pre-tournament friendlies, where Belgium recorded three wins from four games, including victories over the United States, Croatia, and Tunisia.

In those four matches, Belgium scored 13 goals and conceded only three.

Egypt Rely on Mohamed Salah

On the other hand, Egypt arrive with the ambition to make history.

The Pharaohs are still chasing their first-ever win in a World Cup finals, having failed to secure one in 1934, 1990, and 2018.

Under coach Hossam Hassan, Egypt qualified impressively by topping their African qualifying group without suffering a single defeat.

However, much attention is focused on Mohamed Salah’s condition.

The Liverpool forward suffered a hamstring injury towards the end of the 2025/2026 season. Although he has been declared fit to play, recent reports suggest Salah has not yet reached his optimal form.

This situation means Egypt will need significant contributions from other players such as Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet, and Ahmed Sayed Zizo to support the attack.

If Salah is unable to perform at his peak, Egypt’s creativity and offensive effectiveness may be slightly diminished when facing a Belgian defence currently in strong form.

Score Predictions

• Sportmole: Belgium 1-1 Egypt
• Sportskeeda: Belgium 2-1 Egypt
• Sports Illustrated: Belgium 2-0 Egypt

Predicted Line-ups

• Belgium (4-2-3-1):

Thibaut Courtois; Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Arthur Theate, Maxim De Cuyper; Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans; Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard; Romelu Lukaku.

Coach: Rudi Garcia

• Egypt (4-2-3-1):

Mohamed El Shenawy; Mohamed Hany, Ramy Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Ahmed Fattouh; Hamdy Fathy, Mohanad Lashin; Zizo, Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet; Mohamed Salah.

Coach: Hossam Hassan

Previous Four Meetings

• 18/11/22 Belgium 1-2 Egypt
• 07/06/18 Belgium 3-0 Egypt
• 10/02/05 Egypt 4-0 Belgium
• 31/03/99 Belgium 0-1 Egypt

(Tribunnews.com/Hafidh Rizky Pratama)