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Romelu Lukaku’s return to the Belgian national team made an immediate impact as Belgium held Egypt to a 1-1 draw in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The two sides kicked off their World Cup 2026 campaign in a fiercely contested Group G opener at Lumen Field, Seattle, on Monday (15 June 2026, local time).

Egypt came close to securing their first-ever World Cup win, but Belgium spoiled the party with a late equaliser.

Throughout their World Cup history, Egypt had failed to secure a single victory in their first seven matches, a drought stretching back to their debut in the 1934 edition. The Pharaohs’ long wait nearly ended in their eighth World Cup match, which came against Belgium this time.

In the 19th minute, Mohamed Salah delivered a precise through ball to Emam Ashour, who found space outside the penalty area. Ashour unleashed a powerful strike clocked at 35 kilometres per hour, leaving Thibaut Courtois helpless as it flew into the net.

That goal came amid a flurry of chances created by both teams. Belgium started brightly, with Kevin De Bruyne narrowly missing the target early on. The Red Devils created several opportunities but struggled with accuracy in front of goal. Jeremy Doku squandered a golden chance with a wayward volley inside the box, while De Bruyne’s free kick rattled Courtois’s own crossbar moments later.

Belgium’s first shot on target only came in the 62nd minute when De Bruyne’s low effort was saved comfortably by goalkeeper Oufa Shobeir. With his side struggling to find a breakthrough, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia made a decisive change, bringing on star striker Romelu Lukaku, who had been sidelined for three months with an injury at Napoli. Lukaku replaced Charles De Ketelaere after 65 minutes and 22 seconds on the clock.

True to his reputation, ‘Big Rom’ immediately caused havoc in Egypt’s defence. Just 22 seconds after entering the pitch, his movement inside the penalty area forced confusion among defenders. A cross from the right deflected off Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany’s leg and ended up in his own net. The official record credited the 65th-minute and 44-second equaliser as an own goal by Hany.

Belgium pushed aggressively for a comeback after the equaliser, while Egypt attempted to regain their advantage. Both sides exchanged further chances, but the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

The result meant Egypt’s dream of securing their first-ever World Cup win was once again delayed, as they had to settle for a single point shared with Belgium.

Match Result
Belgium 1–1 Egypt (Mohamed Hany 66’ own goal; Emam Ashour 19’)

Line-ups
Belgium (4-2-3-1): 1-Courtois; 15-Meunier, 25-Ngoy, 4-Mechele, 21-Castagne (Raskin 56’); 24-Onana (De Cuyper 56’), 8-Tielemans; 10-Trossard, 7-De Bruyne (Vanaken 86’), 11-Doku (Pardo 86’); 17-De Ketelaere (Lukaku 66’). Coach: Garcia.

Egypt (4-2-3-1): 23-Shobeir; 3-Hany, 2-Ibrahim, 14-Fathy (Adel 89’), 13-Fatouh (Hafez 89’); 19-Attia, 17-Lasheen; 11-Ziko (Zizo 76’), 10-Salah, 8-Ashour (Rabia 71’); 22-Marmoush. Coach: Hassan.