A rampant Belgium side are looking to get their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign off to a winning start when they take on Egypt in Seattle on Monday night.
The two favorites from Group G will lock horns in the opening group game, while Iran and New Zealand will take to the field the following morning at 4AM.
Belgium flew through qualifying unbeaten – winning five and drawing three games, with only Norway scoring more goals than them. They come into this game ranked ninth globally and confident of a positive result here.
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They take on an Egyptian side who have never won a FIFA World Cup match in their history. Despite being a force to reckon with on the African stage, they have found it particularly hard to replicate any kind of success on the global front.
This will be Egypt’s fourth appearance at a World Cup finals, looking to break their duck of poor performances in the tournament. Only Honduras have played more games than Egypt without registering a win in the competition.
A win is not impossible for the Pharaohs, but it will be very tough against a Belgian outfit who have shown how dangerous they can be with their new generation of players. This is Belgiums 15th World Cup appearance, the most by a European nation who have never won the title.
However, Belgium have only lost one of their last 15 group stage games and this should boost their confidence ahead of kick-off. Can the Egyptians battle to at least a point here? We have a look at both team’s form and offer our predicted outcome.
Betway
What time does Belgium vs Egypt start?
The match kicks off at 10PM E.A.T at the Lumen Field.
Belgium vs Egypt team news
Veteran Kevin de Bruyne will be playing his last World Cup and will start here, having scored in their final warm-up friendly against Tunisia.
Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans and his Premier League counterpart Amadou Onana have formed a great bond in the middle of the pack and will also retain their spots in the starting XI.
In the final third, Charles de Ketaleare is expected to settle for a place on the bench despite bagging a goal against Tunisia. Seasoned striker and all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku will lead the attacking line for the Red Devils.
Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku was impressive in qualifying, scoring four goals and he will start on the opposite flank of Leandro Trossard.
The Egyptians also have a couple of veteran players who will be taking to the field for the last time, with Mohamed Salah leading that list. The Liverpool legend will be a key figure in the Egyptian attack as they aim to make it out of the Group stages.
City’s Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet are both fit, with the duo expected to start as well.
The rest of the side will remain unchanged from the XI that started against Brazil in their final warm-up friendly.
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Belgium vs Egypt head-to-head and current form
The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 13 games leading up to the tournament, making them favorites to extend their remarkable run here. They come into the game seeking a third successive win after demolishing Tunisia 5-0 most recently.
The Pharaohs are coming off a slim 2-1 defeat to Brazil, a second loss in their last five matches. That run has seen them win twice and share the spoils in a commendable barren draw against Spain.
However, Egypt have been the better side in the head-to-head matches, winning three of the four games they have played against Belgium in their history. The most recent fixture resulted in a 2-1 win for Egypt in 2022.
Betway
Current form:
Belgium – WWDWW
Egypt – LWDWL
Belgium vs Egypt previous games
- Belgium 1-2 Egypt (November 18, 2022)
- Belgium 3-0 Egypt (June 6, 2018)
- Egypt 4-0 Belgium (February 9, 2005)
- Belgium 0-1 Egypt (March 30, 1999)
Belgium vs Egypt prediction
It’s unlikely that their head-to-head record will have any part to play in this fixture, with Belgium boasting a better record and a more star-studded team on paper. Their recent run of form should be enough to ensure that they can get a positive result to get their campaign underway.
Egypt have only failed to score in two of their last 10 games, and we can expect them to get at least a goal here as well. Though, the Red Devils remain hot favorites to win.
Prediction – Belgium to win
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