Belgium begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Egypt in a game that could tell us a lot about both sides.
While Belgium will go into the match as favourites, this doesn’t feel like the comfortable opener some people might expect.
Egypt have built a reputation for being difficult to break down, and they won’t be short of belief heading into one of the biggest matches of their tournament.
From Belgium’s perspective, getting off to a winning start is essential. The pressure is always high on one of Europe’s strongest nations, and dropping points in the group stage can quickly make life complicated.
With quality throughout the squad, they’ll be expected to take control of possession and create the better chances.
Egypt have other ideas, though. They thrive in the underdog role and know that a positive result here could completely change the outlook of their World Cup campaign.
If they can frustrate Belgium early and keep the game tight, the pressure may begin to shift onto their opponents.
That’s what makes this contest so interesting. Belgium have the talent to win comfortably, but Egypt have enough organisation and resilience to make this far more competitive than the odds might suggest.
In our Group G preview, we hinted that this may be one of the more important games of the group stage, especially with both teams holding knockout aspirations.
It may not be the headline fixture of the round, but it has all the ingredients to be one of the most fascinating.
How to watch Belgium vs Egypt
Belgium vs Egypt kicks off at 20:00 BST on Monday, June 15, at the Seattle Stadium.
The match will be shown live in the UK on BBC One. Fans can also stream the game via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
In the United States, the game will be shown on FOX or FS1, with Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo or Universo and streaming via Peacock.
In Canada, World Cup coverage is available on TSN and RDS, with select matches also broadcast on CTV. Streaming is available via TSN, RDS, CTV and Crave.
Belgium team news
Belgium will look to their biggest stars to make the difference when they take on Egypt in their opening match.
Much of the attention will fall on Kevin De Bruyne. Even at this stage of his career, he remains the player capable of deciding games with a single pass. If Belgium are to break down a stubborn Egyptian defence, his creativity could be the difference.
Out on the wing, Jeremy Doku could be one of Belgium’s most dangerous weapons. His pace and direct running give defenders plenty to think about, especially in one-on-one situations.
Belgium arrive at the tournament with high expectations and a squad packed with quality. While there are a few fitness concerns to keep an eye on, they should have enough talent available to field a strong starting XI.
If their key players perform as expected, Belgium will be confident of making a winning start to their World Cup campaign.
Belgium expected XI:
Courtois – Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, Meunier – Onana, Tielemans – Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard – De Ketelaere.
Egypt team news
Egypt know they face a difficult challenge against Belgium, but they have several players capable of making an impact on the biggest stage.
As always, Mohamed Salah will be the main man. The now ex-Liverpool forward remains one of the world’s most dangerous attackers and gives Egypt a genuine threat whenever they move forward.
Support is likely to come from Omar Marmoush, whose pace and energy could be vital on the counter-attack. If Egypt are to trouble Belgium, his movement in the final third may play a key role.
Egypt’s biggest strength is often their organisation. They are comfortable defending deep, staying compact and waiting for opportunities to strike on the break.
That approach could make them a difficult opponent for Belgium despite the gap in quality between the two squads.
If they can stay in the game for long periods and make the most of their chances, Egypt will believe they can cause a surprise.
Egypt expected XI:
Shobeir – El Fotouh, Ibrahim, Abdelmonem, Hany – Ateya, Lasheen -Trezeguet, Ashour, Salah – Marmoush.
Belgium vs Egypt stats
- Belgium are unbeaten in their previous meetings with Egypt.
- The most recent encounter between the two nations ended in a 2-1 victory for Belgium in an international friendly.
- Belgium have reached at least the quarter-finals in two of the last three World Cups.
- Egypt are still searching for their first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout stages.
- Belgium have lost just one of their last 11 World Cup group-stage matches.
- Belgium have progressed from the group stage in each of their last four World Cup appearances.
- Egypt have won just two of their previous World Cup matches.
- The Red Devils have scored in each of their last 14 World Cup group-stage games.
- Egypt have kept clean sheets in three of their last six World Cup qualifying matches, highlighting their defensive organisation.
Belgium vs Egypt prediction
I keep looking at this Belgium side and thinking they have too much quality for Egypt over 90 minutes.
That doesn’t mean it will be easy.
Egypt are one of those teams that can make life frustrating for any opponent. They defend well, stay compact and rarely give teams much space in dangerous areas. If Belgium are not patient, this could become a difficult afternoon.
The problem for Egypt is that Belgium have players capable of producing something out of nothing.
Kevin De Bruyne only needs a moment to unlock a defence. Jeremy Doku can turn a defender inside out in a one-on-one situation. Even when Belgium are not at their best, they usually create chances.
Egypt will look to stay organised and hit on the counter-attack. With Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush in the side, they certainly have the pace and quality to cause problems. If they score first, things could become very interesting.
Still, I think Belgium will dominate possession and spend most of the game in the Egyptian half.
The longer the match goes on, the more I expect Belgium’s quality to shine through. Egypt should make them work for it, but the Red Devils have more match-winners across the pitch and that is often what decides games at major tournaments.
I can see Egypt staying competitive for long periods, but Belgium should have enough to start their World Cup campaign with a victory.
Prediction: Belgium 2-0 Egypt
