Belgium rescues 1-1 draw against Egypt at World Cup 2026

Mohamed Hany's 66th-minute own goal turned Egypt's first World Cup win in 92 years into a 1-1 draw in Seattle, and the point Belgium salvaged altered the pressure in Group G immediately. FIFA recorded the match as Belgium 1-1 Egypt, with Romelu Lukaku's arrival off the bench coming only 23 seconds before the equalizer.

Emam Ashour had put Egypt ahead in the 19th minute with his first international goal, a finish that left Egypt on course for a maiden World Cup victory. Belgium's response came after the hour when Lukaku entered the match and forced a scramble that ended with Hany turning the ball into his own net. The timing mattered as much as the scoreline: one moment had Egypt in control of the group narrative, the next had Belgium back in the contest and Egypt absorbing the setback.

The draw carried extra weight because of Egypt's place in World Cup history. The national team first appeared at the tournament in 1934, and until June 2026 it had gone 92 years without a victory on the World Cup stage. That made Ashour's goal a potential breakthrough and Hany's own goal a costly pivot point, not just in the match but in the wider fight for a place in the round of 16.

Egypt's response came days later in Vancouver, where it beat New Zealand 3-1 on June 21, 2026, to secure its first World Cup win. Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal in the comeback, and the result put Egypt atop Group G. In that context, the Belgium draw stands as the moment when one misplay briefly threatened to delay a historic breakthrough, before Egypt recovered and took control of its route through the group.