World Cup 2026 Group G

Belgium and Egypt meet in what could be the defining match of World Cup 2026 Group G at Seattle Stadium on Monday evening, with the Red Devils desperate to avoid a repeat of their embarrassing 2022 group stage exit and the Pharaohs aiming to claim their first ever victory in the competition after seven attempts across three tournaments.

Belgium arrive ranked ninth in the world and carrying the weight of a golden generation that promised so much and delivered so little on the international stage. Egypt are ranked 29th and competing in just their fourth World Cup finals, but they carry a recent head-to-head record that will give them genuine belief heading into this fixture, having beaten the Red Devils 2-1 the last time the two sides met in November 2022. This is not the comfortable opener Belgium might have wanted. Egypt have won three of their four previous meetings against the Red Devils and they arrive with a squad built around one of the best players in the world.

For the full picture on who can go deepest at this World Cup, see our complete title contenders guide with win odds and group stage predictions.

Belgium form heading into World Cup 2026

Rudi Garcia’s side arrive in superb form having won four of their last six matches with two draws and no defeats. Their final preparation before the tournament produced a commanding 5-0 victory over Tunisia on June 6, following a 2-0 win away to Croatia on June 2. Earlier in the run, Belgium beat the United States 5-2 and Liechtenstein 7-0 in World Cup qualifying, with only a 1-1 draw against Mexico as a blemish across that stretch.

In total across those five matches, Belgium scored 15 goals and conceded just two, keeping consecutive clean sheets in their two most recent outings. Qualification itself was equally impressive, with the Red Devils topping their UEFA group with 18 points from a possible 24, scoring 29 goals and conceding just seven.

The 2022 World Cup remains a painful memory. Belgium beat Canada 1-0 in their opening game but failed to score against either Croatia or Morocco, finishing third in the group and going home early. Croatia at that point were an ageing side and Morocco had not won a World Cup game since 1998. It made the exit all the more difficult to accept for a nation with such talent at its disposal. Garcia has since reshaped the squad with younger, faster energy while retaining the experience of Kevin De Bruyne, now at Napoli, as the creative spine of the team.

Egypt form and World Cup background

Egypt have never won a World Cup match. Across three previous tournament appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018, they lost all seven games they played. This is only their second tournament in three attempts and qualification was authoritative, with the Pharaohs topping their CAF group with 26 points, going unbeaten across all ten qualifying matches. Their record against Belgium gives them reason for confidence, with Egypt winning three and losing just one of their four previous meetings against the Red Devils.

Recent form, however, is mixed. Egypt’s last five matches produced two wins, one draw and two defeats, including a 2-1 loss to Brazil on June 6, though prior to that they beat Russia 1-0 on May 28 and held Spain to a goalless draw in March that demonstrated their defensive discipline at the highest level. A 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia earlier in the run showed their attacking capability when they have space to work in. Head coach Hossam Hassan has built a side around defensive rigidity and the counter-attacking threat of Mohamed Salah, whose hamstring issue towards the end of the 2025/26 season with Liverpool adds the primary injury concern heading into the tournament.

Premier League players in the Belgium vs Egypt World Cup fixture

This fixture carries considerable Premier League significance on both sides. Belgium have seven Premier League players in their squad, drawn from five different top-flight clubs. Egypt have two of the most dangerous forwards in the Premier League, including one of the best players in the world. The combined Premier League quality on the pitch on Monday evening makes this one of the most familiar-feeling World Cup fixtures of the group stage for English football supporters.

Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku are expected to start as Belgium’s wide forwards and between them they represent one of the most dynamic wing pairings at the tournament. Trossard arrives as a Premier League champion with Arsenal and Doku finished another explosive season at Manchester City. Youri Tielemans enjoyed an excellent 2025/26 season at Aston Villa and starts in the double pivot alongside fellow Villa midfielder Amadou Onana.

For Egypt, Mohamed Salah carries the entire weight of his nation’s World Cup aspirations from the right wing despite reported hamstring concerns that have left him not fully fit heading into the tournament. Omar Marmoush, his Manchester City club teammate, could start as the central striker and offers a devastating second attacking option if Salah is managing his fitness carefully.

Belgium team news and predicted lineup vs Egypt

Thibaut Courtois starts in goal, with Arthur Theate and Nathan Ngoy expected to form the centre-back pairing ahead of him. Thomas Meunier is likely at right-back with Maxim De Cuyper on the left. The midfield double pivot of Onana and Tielemans provides the defensive platform for De Bruyne to operate ahead of them as the attacking midfielder. Doku and Trossard start wide with Romelu Lukaku, now back at Napoli alongside De Bruyne, as the focal point of the attack.

Belgium predicted lineup vs Egypt (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Meunier, Ngoy, Theate, De Cuyper; Onana, Tielemans; Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku; Lukaku.

Egypt team news and predicted lineup vs Belgium

Mohamed El Shenawy starts in goal. Yasser Ibrahim and Ramy Rabia are expected to form the centre-back pairing with Mohamed Hany and Ahmed Fatouh at fullback. Mohanad Lasheen and Hamdy Fathy form the double pivot in midfield. Salah operates from the right despite his fitness concern, with Mahmoud Trezeguet and Ahmed Zizo supporting him across the forward line. Omar Marmoush leads the attack as the central striker. Hassan’s system is designed around defensive rigidity and fast vertical transitions that allow Salah to hurt opponents on the counter without needing to cover ground he cannot currently cover at full fitness.

Egypt predicted lineup vs Belgium (4-2-3-1): El Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, Rabia, Fatouh; Lasheen, Fathy; Salah, Trezeguet, Zizo; Marmoush.

Belgium vs Egypt head-to-head record

This is the fifth meeting between Belgium and Egypt. Egypt have the better overall record with three wins and one defeat against the Red Devils. Their most recent clash in November 2022 ended 2-1 to Egypt. Belgium’s most convincing win came in June 2018, a 3-0 friendly victory. The earliest meeting on record was a 4-0 Egypt win in Cairo in February 2005, making this a fixture with a history that cuts firmly against the higher-ranked side.

Belgium vs Egypt prediction

Belgium are the clear favourites and the quality difference between the two squads is significant. But Egypt’s defensive discipline, their counter-attacking threat through Salah and Marmoush and their favourable head-to-head record against Belgium mean this is not a straightforward three points for Garcia’s side. A narrow Belgium win is the most likely outcome, with the Red Devils having enough quality across the pitch to control the game without it ever becoming comfortable. If Salah is even 80% fit, Egypt will create chances on the break. Belgium’s clean sheet record in recent matches suggests they can manage the threat, but they may need a special contribution from one of their Premier League attackers to settle the match.

Prediction: Belgium 2-1 Egypt

Kick-off: Monday June 16
Venue: Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Seattle
Group: Group G