Day five of the World Cup has arrived, and Egypt is set to make its mark. Having qualified for the tournament without a loss after missing out on the 2022 edition, they secured their place in North America with a game to spare. The team netted 19 goals in nine qualifying matches, with Mohamed Salah contributing nine, while conceding just two and achieving seven clean sheets. Despite these impressive statistics, Egypt’s approach tends to be more pragmatic than flamboyant, a style they carried into the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations where they suffered a semi-final defeat to Senegal.
Egypt is likely to start the World Cup in a 4-3-3 formation that shifts to a 4-2-3-1 when chasing a game, occasionally adapting to a 3-5-2 against teams that apply high pressure. Mohamed El-Shenawy is expected to take the goalkeeper position, although Mostafa Shobeir has been pushing for a starting spot. The defensive structure is solid, featuring Rami Rabia and either Hossam Abdelmaguid or Yasser Ibrahim. Marwan Attia and Hamdi Fathi are set to protect the defense, while Emam Ashour will aim to facilitate plays for the attacking trio.
The Egyptian side is known for its cohesiveness and defensive resilience, making them tough opponents. However, they can appear predictable when rivals focus on neutralizing Salah, especially if the midfield struggles to bypass the opposition’s press. Drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand, Egypt aims to overcome their history of never winning a World Cup match, making it their primary objective.
Recently, Orange, a prominent mobile network operator in Egypt, launched a series of humorous advertisements featuring Ahmed Fatouh, Rami Rabia, and Hossam Abdelmaguid. These ads highlight the trio’s optimistic outlook for Egypt’s chances of advancing beyond the group stage, which is met with skepticism from friends and family.
Self-deprecation is a well-practiced art among Egyptians, possibly due to their rich history. Even with seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, they are still seeking their first World Cup victory. As the Pharaohs gear up for their fourth World Cup appearance against Belgium on Monday, they carry the weight of not having won any of their previous seven matches.
This contradiction defines Egyptian football: they boast the most continental titles among African nations, yet remain one of the continent’s underperformers on the World Cup stage. While many African teams aspire to emulate Morocco’s semi-final run in 2022, many Egyptians would be content with achieving a single victory in the group stage.
Team Lineups
Belgium is expected to field a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Courtois in goal, supported by Meunier, Ngoy, Mechele, and Castagne in defense. The midfield will consist of Onana and Tielemans, while Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard, and De Ketelaere will take on attacking roles.
Belgium’s substitutes include Lammens, Penders, Theate, De Cuyper, Witsel, Lukaku, Lukebakio, De Winter, Seys, Moreira, Vanaken, Saelemaekers, Raskin, and Fernandez-Pardo.
For Egypt, the likely formation is also a 4-2-3-1, with Shobeir in goal and a defense comprising Hany, Fathy, Ibrahim, and Fattouh. The midfield will include Lasheen and Attia, while Salah, Ashour, Ziko, and Marmoush will lead the attack.
Egypt’s substitutes are El Shenawy, Soliman, Alaa, Abdelmaguid, Rabia, Abdelmoneim, Trezeguet, Abdelkarim, Hassan, Hafez, Donga, Adel, Saber, Alaa, and Zizo.
Ramon Abatti from Brazil will officiate the match.
In another match, Spain ended in a goalless draw with Cape Verde, a result that, despite lacking goals, was filled with excitement.
Head coach Rudi Garcia is aware that Belgium’s strength lies in their offensive capabilities. Players like Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku, and Romelu Lukaku offer unique attacking threats. However, the defense, apart from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, is considered a weaker link after the golden generation, including Toby Alderweireld and Vincent Kompany, has largely retired. “That is why I will always choose four defenders and not five,” Garcia stated. “With five defenders I have to sacrifice an attacking player and that would be a shame.”
Garcia typically employs a medium block to support the attack without overburdening the defenders. Yet, the situation is complicated by Lukaku, who has only played 64 minutes for Napoli this season and none for the national team due to injuries. He made a brief appearance in the recent 2-0 victory over Croatia, scoring a late goal. The loss of his father has also impacted him significantly. Thus, Belgium’s all-time top scorer, with 90 goals, enters the World Cup lacking match fitness.
Group G also includes Iran and New Zealand, who will face off in the final match of the day.
Welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of the Belgium versus Egypt match at Seattle Stadium. The 2026 World Cup is heating up, with day five underway, and by tomorrow, 32 of the 48 participating teams will have played.
We’ve seen everything from strong contenders to teams likely to struggle. The precise standings of Belgium and Egypt within this spectrum remain uncertain. Both teams are adapting to life after their respective golden generations, which have lost some of their former brilliance. Yet, both remain formidable opponents capable of making an impact in this tournament.
This intriguing match will shed light on just how much of an impact they can have.
Kickoff is set for 12pm local time, 8pm BST, 3pm EDT, and 5am AEST.
