Egypt fall short of historic World Cup triumph as Belgium rescue opening draw

SEATTLE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 16th Jun, 2026) Seattle witnessed an Egyptian performance that deserved far more than a shared point as the Pharaohs outplayed their European opponents, standing mere moments from a historic victory.

Emam Ashour’s stunning first international goal put an assertive Egypt firmly on course for a maiden FIFA World Cup win. It ultimately took the emergency introduction of Romelu Lukaku to salvage a desperate, lucky point for Belgium against a dominant African side.

Prior to this Group G opener, the Pharaohs had only ever led a World Cup match for 29 minutes in their entire history.

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They shattered that mark with confidence, controlling the tempo and orchestrating the match beautifully after an exquisite opener from Ashour.

On the day of his 34th birthday, Mohamed Salah scripted a moment of pure genius, allowing Ashour to publish it emphatically. The Al Ahly midfielder took one deft touch to set himself before sweeping a brilliant strike through the legs of Thomas Meunier and past a diving Thibaut Courtois, sending a thoroughly superior Egypt into the break ahead.

Both teams now earned a single point in Group G, which also features Iran and New Zealand.