Belgium vs Egypt prediction, tips and odds | World Cup 2026

Belgium open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Egypt at Seattle Stadium on Monday evening, placing the ninth-ranked Red Devils as heavy favourites against a side that has never won a match at the tournament in seven previous appearances.

The Red Devils' golden generation had the nation's best run in the tournament in 2018, when they finished third, but followed that with a disappointing group-stage exit in Qatar.

Facing an Egyptian side that has struggled on the global stage, however, gives Rudi Garcia's men the chance to start strongly, pick up early points, and build momentum in Group G, which also features Iran and New Zealand.

Egypt arrive as the 29th-ranked side in the world but with an attacking threat that demands respect.

Mohamed Salah captains a squad that also includes Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, and Hossam Hassan's side completed CAF qualifying with eight wins and two draws from 10 games, conceding just twice throughout.

If you are planning to follow our football betting coverage, both sides will be looking to make a point in the Group G standings from this opening game.

Belgium vs Egypt: World Cup 2026 preview and form guide

Belgium head into this tournament having qualified from the European section without defeat – five wins and three draws across eight games in the UEFA qualifying group, scoring 29 goals and conceding seven.

Their pre-tournament preparation reinforced that goal threat: a 7-0 demolition of Liechtenstein in November, a 5-2 win over the USA in March, a 2-0 victory over Croatia on 2 June and a 5-0 win over Tunisia on 6 June, with the one disruption being a 1-1 draw with Mexico.

Kevin De Bruyne is the creative heart of this side and arrives at the World Cup having recovered from a serious muscular injury sustained at Napoli in October 2025.

Romelu Lukaku carries Belgium's goalscoring burden with 90 international goals in 126 caps, making him the all-time record scorer for his country.

Lukaku's club season at Napoli was disrupted by recurring muscular problems and he only returned to action in January.

Belgium's attacking depth gives Garcia options throughout, with Jeremy Doku's pace on the left and Leandro Trossard's technical quality on the right providing additional routes to goal beyond De Bruyne and Lukaku.

Egypt's route to the 2026 World Cup was the most convincing in their history, but their pre-tournament form tells a more nuanced story.

The 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in March and the 1-0 victory over Russia in May showed clinical finishing and defensive solidity in that order.

The 0-0 draw with Spain, however, illustrated what opponents have come to expect from Hassan's setup: Egypt are exceptionally well organised without the ball but can struggle to create against high-quality opposition.

Mohamed Salah's importance to this side cannot be overstated – with 67 goals in 116 appearances for his country, he is the record scorer in Egypt's history and just two shy of becoming the outright all-time leading scorer, a record currently held by the man now managing the side.

His club season at Liverpool produced 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions in 2025-26, numbers below his peak but still representing a consistent and dangerous threat at the highest level.

Marmoush adds a different dimension at centre-forward, with his link-up play with Salah functioning effectively throughout qualifying.

Trezeguet, with 23 goals in 96 international appearances, provides experience and a direct threat from the left channel.

Team news: Belgium vs Egypt injuries and predicted XIs

Belgium

Zeno Debast was injured before the tournament and is unavailable for this opener, forcing Garcia to turn to Brandon Mechele, 33, who has only nine senior caps, and Nathan Ngoy, 23, who has four – a centre-back pairing with very little experience at this level.

Courtois behind them is one of the world's best goalkeepers, which provides assurance, but the lack of familiarity between the two central defenders is a legitimate vulnerability that Egypt could target.

De Bruyne is fit and expected to start, with his recovery from the Napoli injury managed carefully – the minutes he played in both June warmups, including a goal against Tunisia, suggest Garcia is ready to give him a full match.

Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans will sit in a double pivot behind him, protecting the back four and providing the platform from which De Bruyne can operate.

Doku on the left and Trossard on the right give Belgium the width to stretch Egypt's defensive block.

Charles De Ketelaere leads the line in a 4-2-3-1, with Lukaku available to come on and change the game if Belgium need a physical presence or are chasing the match.

Egypt

Hossam Hassan has a full squad available and arrives at this tournament without any injury concerns to navigate.

Mostafa Shobeir is expected to start ahead of the more experienced Mohamed El Shenawy, a decision that reflects Hassan's confidence in his younger option as first-choice goalkeeper for this tournament.

The midfield double pivot of Mohanad Lasheen and Marwan Attia has been central to Egypt's defensive resilience throughout qualifying.

Both are Al Ahly players who understand each other's positioning instinctively, and their ability to screen the defence and cut off passing lanes is the foundation on which Egypt's compact shape is built.

Emam Ashour operates in the space behind Marmoush, connecting midfield to attack.

Salah's position on the right of the attacking midfield line allows him to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, a movement that any defence in the world must account for.

Ahmed Fatouh at left-back and Mohamed Hany at right-back give Egypt reasonable cover on both flanks, though neither has the experience or quality to comfortably handle Belgium's wide threats for a full 90 minutes.

Predicted XIs – Belgium vs Egypt

Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, Meunier; Tielemans, Onana; Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere. Manager: Rudi Garcia.

Egypt (4-2-3-1): Shobeir; Fatouh, Ibrahim, Abdelmonem, Hany; Lasheen, Attia; Trezeguet, Ashour, Salah; Marmoush. Manager: Hossam Hassan.

Head-to-head: Belgium vs Egypt

Belgium and Egypt have met four times, all in international friendlies, and the head-to-head record sits firmly with Egypt – three wins to one.

The first meeting in March 1999 ended 1-0 to Egypt in Brussels.

The most lopsided result came in February 2005, when Egypt won 4-0 in Cairo.

Belgium recorded their only win in June 2018 with a 3-0 friendly victory, and the most recent meeting in November 2022 ended 2-1 to Egypt – seven days before Belgium's group-stage exit in Qatar.

Our Belgium vs Egypt prediction and betting tips