Egypt look to break World Cup curse with maiden win as they face Belgium

The Pharaohs have played seven matches at the world showpiece with only two draws and five losses and this will be their fourth world cup after appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018.

Monday June 15, 2026

Seattle stadium 11pm [EAT]

Record African champions Egypt enter fray in the Fifa World Cup 2026 seeking for only their first ever win at the global event when they lock horns with Belgium at Seattle Stadium in Group G.

The Pharaohs have played seven matches at the world showpiece with only two draws and five losses and this will be their fourth world cup after appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018.

Having qualified without a defeat, Hossam Hassan and his men will hope to carry that form against a side that also went through their European qualifiers unscathed.

Hossam Hassan and Mohamed Trezeguet faced the media on behalf of Egypt and so did Kevin De Bryune and Rudi Garcia, the Belgium head coach.

Here are the quotes from Fifa.com

“The first match is always tricky, and the one against Egypt is sure to be a tough one. It’ll be great to see [Mohamed] Salah again; I know him very well. I played against him for ten years, our children went to the same school, and we’ve kept in touch from time to time. He’s a really good bloke and it’ll be great to face him and compete again, just like in the old days.” Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium midfielder

“Salah is a fantastic player and, above all, a great man. We’ll say hello before the match, but during the match we’ll be opponents. Egypt has different qualities, as well as two great players in the team, like Salah and Marmoush. However, we must focus above all on who we are and what we can do.” Rudi Garcia, Belgium coach

“I’m really excited; this will be my second World Cup. I hope we can achieve great things and make our country proud. We’ll do everything we can for Egypt. This is the best competition in the world; everyone dreams of playing in it. I’m very proud to be here.” Trezeguet, Egypt winger

“We are aware of Belgium’s qualities; they have international players, but we too have very important players, not just Salah and Marmoush. I am convinced that the team will do everything possible to make Egypt proud. We’ve done everything necessary to be ready for this tournament. We want to make our mark and build something ambitious for the future.” Hossam Hassan, Egypt coach

Egypt have won three of the prior four meetings (L1), the most recent of which came on the eve of the 2022 World Cup. This will be the first-ever H2H in a major tournament.

How to watch

All 104 matches will be live on DStv on four dedicated FIFA World Cup Channels in multiple languages. The Channels are FIFA World Cup Central (Channel 222), FIFA World Cup Extra (Channel 223), FIFA World Cup Pass (Channel 225), and FIFA World Cup Swahili (Channel 224).

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