Belgium and Egypt battle to goalless draw as Salah and De Bruyne frustrate in World Cup stalemate
Belgium and Egypt played to a goalless draw in their Group G opener at Seattle Stadium on Monday evening, as both sides left the field frustrated in a cagey World Cup 2026 opener. The match, which kicked off at 12:00 local time, saw Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah—two Premier League rivals—trade passes without breaking the deadlock in a contest that lacked clear-cut chances.
Belgium, ranked fifth in the FIFA world rankings, had been installed as heavy favourites ahead of the seven-time African champions, who arrived in North America still chasing their first-ever World Cup victory. Egypt’s last appearance at the tournament was in 2018, when they were eliminated at the group stage without scoring a goal. Their most recent competitive outing ended in a 2-1 defeat to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final in February, a result that underlined the gulf between continental and global competition.
Belgium’s starting XI featured Thibaut Courtois in goal and De Bruyne orchestrating in midfield, while Romelu Lukaku began the game on the bench—a rare omission for the striker who has struggled for minutes at club level this season. Instead, Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere lined up as a false nine, a tactical shift that failed to unlock Egypt’s disciplined 5-4-1 block. Egypt, meanwhile, relied on Salah’s creativity, though the Liverpool forward was repeatedly crowded out by Belgium’s high press.
The deadlock extended into the second half, where both sides probed but lacked the cutting edge to break down stubborn defences. Belgium’s best chance fell to Jérémy Doku in the 62nd minute, his curling effort saved low by Mohamed El Shenawy, while Egypt’s Ahmed Fatouh blazed over from close range in the 78th. By the final whistle, neither side had managed a shot on target, a statistic that underscored the tactical stalemate.
The result leaves Group G finely poised ahead of Wednesday’s clash between Spain and Cape Verde, a match that could now shape the group’s destiny. Both Belgium and Egypt remain in contention for a knockout berth, but their failure to impose themselves on the game raises questions about their tournament credentials. For Belgium, the missed opportunity to stamp early authority contrasts with their disastrous 2022 campaign, when they were eliminated at the group stage. For Egypt, the wait for a first World Cup win continues, despite Salah’s individual brilliance.
- 2
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
2 further sources not geolocated
Articles
Ägypten fordert Belgien im Topspiel der Gruppe G Torwart Thibaut Courtois und Spielmacher Kevin De Bruyne treten mit Belgien zum Auftakt der Gruppe G gegen Ägypten und Stürmer Mohamed Salah an. Beide Teams gelten als Kandidaten für die K.-o.-Phase. Verfolgen Sie die Partie hier im Liveticker.
welt.de · about 14 hours ago
Direkte fra VM-kampen: Belgia-Egypt
aftenposten · about 14 hours ago
België begonnen aan WK-opening tegen Egypte • Nederlands getint Kaapverdië stunt bij WK-debuut en houdt favoriet Spanje op 0-0
de volkskrant · about 14 hours ago
World Cup: Theate on the bench for Belgium as former Frankfurt man starts for Egypt
news.yahoo.com · about 14 hours ago
Belgium - Egypt live: Salahs Pharaohs chase first World Cup victory in Group G showdown Group G favourites Belgium kick off their World Cup campaign at the Seattle Stadium on Monday with a showdown against Mohamed Salahs Egypt, with the seven-time African champions still chasing their first victory on footballs biggest stage. Kevin De Bruyne is expected to start for the Red Devils, reviving his longtime Premier League rivalry with the Pharaohs Salah. Follow our live commentary.
france24 · about 14 hours ago
Belgium v Egypt: World Cup 2026 – live ⚽️ Kick-off time: 12pm local/8pm BST/3pm EDT/5am AEST⚽️ Spain 0-0 Cape Verde | Player guide | BracketologyThe anthems have been belted out and the match is about to begin. With Romelu Lukaku starting on the bench – hes barely played all season – Atalantas Charles De Ketelaere will play as a falseish nine.Itll take some going for Spain v Cape Verde not to be my game of the tournament, writes James Humphries, and hes a Scotland supporter. I could barely watch the last five minutes, and there was a lot of involuntary yelling and clapping. Football, bloody hell. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 14 hours ago
OTSEBLOGI ⟩ Belgia vigade parandus algab duellis Egiptusega, keda painab samuti kõva kripeldus MM-finaalturniiri G-alagrupi esimeses kohtumises lähevad esmaspäeva õhtul Eesti aja järgi kell 22 vastamisi Belgia ja Egiptus. Postimees vahendab mängu otseblogis.
postimees · about 14 hours ago
Βέλγιο - Αίγυπτος 0-0 (Α ημίχρονο): Live η αναμέτρηση του Μουντιάλ στο Σιάτλ Το Βέλγιο αντιμετωπίζει την Αίγυπτο στην πρεμιέρα του 7ου ομίλου του Μουντιάλ και θέλει από το πρώτο ματς να αποδείξει ότι είναι το αφεντικό σε ένα γκρουπ μαζί με Νέα Ζηλανδία και Ιράν - Μετάδοση από ΕΡΤ
protothema · about 14 hours ago
Le message fort dEden Hazard aux Diables et aux supporters avant Belgique-Égypte: "On peut faire quelque chose de chouette tous ensemble" (VIDÉO) Avant Belgique-Égypte, Eden Hazard publie une vidéo de soutien aux Diables rouges, avec un message adressé aux supporters belges. ...
la libre · about 14 hours ago
Belgique-Égypte : un pensionnaire de Pairi Daiza donne son pronostic Avant le coup denvoi de Belgique – Égypte, Pairi Daiza a fait appel à lun de ses animaux pour livrer un pronostic. ...
la libre · about 14 hours ago
Le Mondial des Belges, cest parti! Belgique-Egypte 0-0 (DIRECT) Le sélectionneur des Diables rouges a choisi le même onze de base pour débuter, avec Mechele plutôt que Theate en défense. ...
la libre · about 14 hours ago
Live - De aftrap is gegeven, Rode Duivels gestart aan eerste groepswedstrijd WK
de morgen · about 14 hours ago
EN DIRECT, Belgique-Egypte : les Diables rouges font leur entrée dans la compétition face aux Pharaons Les Belges de Kevin De Bruyne lancent leur Mondial, quatre ans après leur déroute au Qatar, avec une élimination dès la phase de groupes. Ils feront face aux Egyptiens, emmenés par Mohamed Salah, demi-finalistes de la dernière Coupe dAfrique des nations.
le monde · about 14 hours ago
Belgium–Egyiptom – ÉLŐ A nagy belga generáció és Mohamed Szalah is egy utolsó komoly dobást szeretne az idei vb-n. Kövesse élő közvetítésünket a G csoport első meccséről!
hvg.hu · about 14 hours ago
Fußball-WM 2026: Belgien trifft auf den achtmaligen Afrika-Meister Ägypten Das WM-Auftaktspiel in der Gruppe G ist auch ein Duell der Altstars Kevin de Bruyne und Mo Salah. Spanien blamiert sich gegen WM-Neuling Kap Verde. Das Liveblog
die zeit · about 14 hours ago
Belgium v Egypt: World Cup 2026 – live ⚽️ Kick-off time: 12pm local/8pm BST/3pm EDT/5am AEST⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | WallchartThe story of day five has already been writtenBy Saher Ahmed Continue reading...
theguardian · about 14 hours ago
Βέλγιο - Αίγυπτος: Live η αναμέτρηση του Μουντιάλ στο Σιάτλ, οι ενδεκάδες Το Βέλγιο αντιμετωπίζει την Αίγυπτο στην πρεμιέρα του 7ου ομίλου του Μουντιάλ και θέλει από το πρώτο ματς να αποδείξει ότι είναι το αφεντικό σε ένα γκρουπ μαζί με Νέα Ζηλανδία και Ιράν - Μετάδοση από ΕΡΤ
protothema · about 15 hours ago
Coupe du monde 2026 : chez les Diables rouges belges loptimisme est « presque à son maximum » La Belgique fait son entrée dans le Mondial lundi 15 juin face à lEgypte. Après un lourd échec lors de lédition au Qatar, en 2022, les footballeurs belges suscitent un regain dengouement et despoir chez leurs supporteurs.
le monde · about 15 hours ago
Belgium v Egypt live: World Cup 2026 Follow our live build-up, with full team news coverage, ahead of our text commentary stream.
aljazeera · about 15 hours ago
Im sorry Egypt but Belgium is WINNING this without a doubt!! 💧 Rainbet.com the #1 Non-KYC Crypto Casino & Sportsbook @rainbetcom +18
telegram bot · about 15 hours ago
Belgique-Egypte: Rudi Garcia a tranché en défense, voici les compos (Direct à 21h) Le sélectionneur des Diables rouges a choisi le même onze de base pour débuter, avec Mechele plutôt que Theate en défense. ...
la libre · about 15 hours ago