TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Belgium vs. Egypt duel will take place in the opening match of Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Seattle Stadium, United States, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 02.00 AM WIB. This match has the potential to be one of the key games in the competition towards the knockout phase.
The team known as the Red Devils comes with great ambition. Belgium currently ranks ninth in the FIFA world ranking, while Egypt is in the 29th position. For Egypt, the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico marks their fourth appearance in the World Cup finals.
Belgium is aiming to erase the disappointment from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Back then, the golden generation led by Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates failed to advance from the group stage. They only secured one victory, a 1-0 win against Canada, before drawing against Croatia and losing to Morocco.
This failure was considered embarrassing. This is due to Belgium, which is filled with elite European players, finishing below Croatia, who at that time had entered the final phase of their golden generation, and Morocco, who had not won a World Cup match since 1998.
Over the past decade, Belgium has consistently been filled with top players in the world. However, their best achievement in the European Championship only reached the quarterfinals. In the World Cup, they have also failed to reach the final in the last three editions.
Under coach Rudi Garcia, Belgium secured their place in the 2026 World Cup convincingly. They became the champions of the qualification group by collecting 18 points from eight matches. Belgium scored 29 goals and conceded only seven times.
After securing their spot in the final round, Garcia led his team in four friendly matches. Belgium achieved three victories, including against the United States, Croatia, and Tunisia. During that period, they scored 13 goals and conceded only three times. Belgium also recorded two clean sheets in the lead-up to the World Cup.
On the other hand, Egypt achieved a significant milestone by returning to the World Cup. This is their second appearance in the last three editions. Previously, Egypt only qualified twice throughout history. The Pharaohs hope to perform better than the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Back then, they finished the group stage at the bottom after losing to Uruguay, Russia, and Saudi Arabia without earning a single point.
Egypt's journey to the 2026 World Cup has been relatively smooth. They became the champions of the African zone (CAF) qualification group with 26 points and remained unbeaten in 10 matches. However, the team led by Hossam Hassan is still overshadowed by their failure in the 2025 African Cup. They were eliminated in the semifinals after losing to Senegal. Despite being the most successful team in the history of the tournament with seven titles, Egypt's last championship was in 2010.
Since the defeat against Senegal, Egypt's performance has been inconsistent. In their last five matches, they achieved two victories, two losses, and one draw. During that time, Egypt scored six goals and conceded twice.
Current Team Condition
Belgium is expected to continue relying on their main goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. The Real Madrid goalkeeper is likely to be supported by the central defensive duo of Arthur Theate and Nathan Ngoy.
In the midfield, as quoted from Sportsmole, Youri Tielemans is almost certain to be the main choice after an impressive season with Aston Villa. He is predicted to partner with his club teammate, Amadou Onana, as Belgium's play anchor.
To support the attack, Kevin De Bruyne remains the main choice in the attacking midfielder position. Although his performance with Napoli throughout the 2025-2026 season is considered inconsistent, his experience and quality are irreplaceable in Rudi Garcia's squad.
In the wing positions, Belgium is likely to rely on two English Premier League players, Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku. Both will support Romelu Lukaku, who is the main spearhead of the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, Egypt faces some concerns regarding the condition of their star player, Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool forward has had hamstring issues towards the end of the 2025-2026 season.
Although he could play against Belgium, the latest reports indicate that Salah's physical condition is not fully recovered. Egypt will also rely on other players like Trezeguet, Omar Marmoush, and Ahmed Sayed "Zizo" to provide greater support upfront.
In the defensive line, coach Hossam Hassan is expected to field the pairing of Yasser Ibrahim and Ramy Rabia in front of senior goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy. As for the midfield, Mohanad Lashin is likely to play alongside Egypt's national team. He is expected to partner with Hamdy Fathy in a two defensive midfielder formation.
Head-to-Head
- Egypt and Belgium have met four times. As quoted from Sportskeeda, The Pharaohs have a better record with three victories, while Belgium has only defeated the African representative once.
- The last meeting between the two teams took place in November 2022. At that time, Egypt won 2-1 through goals from Mostafa Mohamed and Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet". Belgium could only reduce the deficit through a goal from Lois Openda.
- Although the head-to-head record favors Egypt, Belgium has more experience in the World Cup. The Red Devils have qualified 15 times for the final round, including achieving a third-place position in the 2018 edition in Russia.
- In contrast, the 2026 World Cup marks Egypt's fourth appearance in the final round. Before this, they appeared in 1934, 1990, and 2018. Egypt's best achievement is still limited to reaching the group stage, so this tournament is an opportunity for them to make new history.
Estimated Lineup
Belgium: Thibaut Courtois; Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Arthur Theate, Maxim De Cuyper; Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans; Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Romelu Lukaku
Egypt: Mohamed El Shenawy; Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Ramy Rabia, Ahmed Fatouh; Mohanad Lashin, Hamdy Fathy; Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet, Zizo; Omar Marmoush
Prediction
On paper, Belgium is the favorite in the opening match of Group G in the 2026 World Cup because they have a more quality and experienced squad at the highest level. However, the Red Devils have a history of often failing to meet expectations in major tournaments.
Egypt still has the opportunity to provide a surprise, especially if Mohamed Salah can play in top condition. With a fairly good record against Belgium, Egypt is expected to be able to put up a strong resistance in a tightly predicted match.
Read: Germany Thrash Curacao 7-1 in 2026 World Cup Opener
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