Seattle: Tournament underdogs Egypt rewrite their history books at the Seattle Stadium despite conceding a dramatic second-half equaliser to draw 1-1 with Belgium in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G opener.

The Pharaohs broke their national record by maintaining a lead for 47 minutes, a statistical milestone that eclipsed their entire combined history at the tournament. Prior to the clash in the Pacific Northwest, Egypt had only ever led a World Cup match for a total of 29 minutes across three previous appearances in 1934, 1990, and 2018.

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The historic breakthrough arrived in the 19th minute. Operating centrally on his 34th birthday, captain Mohamed Salah orchestrated the play, delivering a perfectly weighted pass to Emam Ashour. The Al Ahly midfielder took a deft touch before sweeping a clinical 20-yard strike through the legs of Thomas Meunier and past a diving Thibaut Courtois to register his first international goal.

The North Africans protected their advantage with immense discipline, restricting a star-studded Belgian outfit. A halftime data analysis illustrated Egypt's tactical superiority in the first half, revealing that while Belgium dominated territory and possession, they failed to muster a single shot on target before the interval.

Egypt's dream of a maiden World Cup victory remained intact well into the second half, bolstered by Courtois making a world-class reflex save to deny a downward header from Salah. However, the complexion of the match altered entirely in the 66th minute following the introduction of Romelu Lukaku.

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Just 20 seconds after stepping onto the pitch, the Belgian striker's imposing physical presence inside the penalty area caused immediate panic. Lukaku's run to meet a dangerous Meunier cross forced an error from Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany, who inadvertently deflected the ball past goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir for an own goal.

Despite the heartbreak of the equaliser, Egypt refused to capitulate and earned a hard-fought point. The result represented a spirited and valuable performance for the seven-time African champions against one of world football's elite nations. Hossam Hassan’s side will now look to build on this historic defensive display when they travel to Vancouver to face New Zealand on Monday.