Belgium vs Egypt

Belgium and Egypt meet in a fixture that carries more intrigue than a typical group-stage opener, largely because the last time these two shared a pitch, it was Egypt who walked away winners. A 2018 pre-World Cup friendly in Cairo saw Abdallah El Said convert a penalty to give the Pharaohs a 1-0 victory — a result that, while exhibition-grade, exposed Belgium's vulnerability against low-block teams that defend with discipline and counter with precision. That template remains relevant.

Belgium arrive in 2026 still navigating the uneasy transition from their celebrated golden generation — Eden Hazard retired, Romelu Lukaku's powers waning, Thibaut Courtois' international future a recurring soap opera — while Kevin De Bruyne endures as the sole undisputed world-class figure. Domenico Tedesco has tried to inject younger legs — Loïs Openda, Johan Bakayoko, Arthur Theate — without entirely sacrificing the structural identity that carried Belgium to a World Cup semi-final. Egypt, meanwhile, have their own generational anchor in Mohamed Salah, whose pursuit of a defining World Cup moment has become one of the tournament's recurring subplots.

The tactical tension is clear: Belgium will dominate possession and territory, probing through De Bruyne's passing range, while Egypt will condense space and trust Salah to manufacture something from nothing. If Belgium's centre-backs — an area of persistent uncertainty — are drawn out of shape by Egypt's transitions, this becomes uncomfortable fast.