Egypt surprise Belgium and snatch a 1-1 in Seattle
Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead off a Salah assist before Hany's own goal rescued a flat Belgium.
Belgium and Egypt shared the points with a 1-1 draw at Lumen Field in Seattle, the buzzing Pacific Northwest stadium famous for its thunderous atmosphere beside Elliott Bay. In Group G of the 2026 World Cup, the Pharaohs sprang a surprise by standing up to one of Europe's leading nations and earning a hugely valuable point.
Egypt struck first in the 20th minute: Emam Ashour finished off an assist from Mohamed Salah to put the Africans ahead and silence the Red Devils. Belgium's equaliser came in unfortunate fashion for the visitors in the 66th, an own goal from Mohamed Hany that restored parity on a scoreline that would not change again.
The match was scrappy and full of niggle, as reflected by the four yellow cards: for Egypt, Marwan Attia (13) and Ahmed Fatouh (34) were booked, while for Belgium it was Timothy Castagne (14) and Maxim De Cuyper (75). A game of friction in which neither side managed to take clear control.
Rudi Garcia set Belgium up in a 4-2-3-1 with Thibaut Courtois in goal and a glittering lineup featuring Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard and Jérémy Doku behind Charles De Ketelaere, but the attacking talent ran into a well-organised Egyptian wall.
Hossam Hassan responded with another 4-2-3-1, with Omar Shobeir between the posts and Salah and Omar Marmoush as the main threats. The plan worked to scratch out a point that keeps Egypt alive and leaves a disappointing Belgium with the feeling of an opportunity lost. In a 2026 World Cup of 48 nations spread across the USA, Mexico and Canada, Group G is left wide open.