The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues on June 15 as Belgium take on Egypt at Seattle Stadium for their Group G showdown.
Group G
Tuesday, 16 June | Seattle Stadium
Kick-off time
03:00 (GMT+8)
The match
A battle of two global heavyweights, with both Belgium and Egypt going undefeated in qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The Red Devils won their Qatar 2022 opener against Canada and will be looking to follow suit against an Egypt side, who are making their first appearance at the global showpiece since Russia 2018. The two sides met in a friendly prior to Qatar 2022, with the Pharaohs running out 2-1 winners.
Belgium possible starting XI
Courtois; Meinier, Ngoy, Theate, Castagne; Onana, Tielemans, De Bruyne; Doku, Trossard; De Ketelaere
Egypt possible starting XI
Shobeir; Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Abdelmonem, Ahmed Fatouh; Marawan Attia, Mohanad Lasheen; Salah, Emam Ashour, Trezeguet; Marmoush
What they said…
“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
Seattle Stadium
Seattle Stadium boasts a unique horseshoe shape with an open north end to give a stunning view of the Seattle skyline. Featuring twice in the Guinness World Records as the loudest outdoor stadium, with the feats achieved in September and December 2013, the ground has become known as a fortress for the likes of Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders and the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks. Six FIFA Club World Cup™ matches were held at the venue during the 2025 tournament, including Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over River Plate and Paris-Saint-Germain’s 2-0 triumph over the Sounders in the group stage.