Egypt made a strong start to its FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G campaign by taking a surprising 1-0 lead against Belgium at half-time in Seattle.Belgium, appearing in its 15th FIFA World Cup finals, entered the match as favourites with a squad featuring experienced stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Jeremy Doku and Amadou Onana.Egypt, making only its fourth World Cup appearance, relied on key players including Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Emam Ashour and Mahmoud Trezeguet.The decisive moment of the first half came in the 19th minute when Emam Ashour scored with a right-footed strike from outside the penalty area.The goal was created by Mohamed Salah, whose assist helped Egypt gain an early advantage.

Belgium attempted to respond through efforts from Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard, Jérémy Doku and Youri Tielemans, but the Egyptian defence remained organised.Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept Belgium in the contest with several important saves, including stops against Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Zico.Egypt continued to threaten on the counterattack and earned multiple corners late in the first half.

The match also featured several fouls and disciplinary actions, with yellow cards shown to Marwan Attia and Ahmed Fatouh of Egypt, and Timothy Castagne of Belgium.At the interval, Egypt held a deserved 1-0 lead and looked capable of challenging one of the stronger teams in the group.The second half began with Belgium seeking an equaliser while Egypt aimed to protect and possibly extend its advantage.