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Mohamed Salah did not score. He did not need to. A single pass — precise, perfectly weighted, splitting the Belgian defence like a seam — was enough to give Egypt the lead and remind Lumen Field exactly who the most dangerous man on the pitch was.
Egypt held that lead for 47 minutes, survived a De Bruyne free-kick off the post, and were eventually pegged back by a Romelu Lukaku substitution that changed the match in less than thirty seconds. The 1–1 draw at Lumen Field in Seattle felt like a point gained for Egypt and a point dropped for Belgium. Both assessments are correct.
Salah pulls the strings, Ashour finishes.
Egypt‘s game plan was built around a simple truth: when Mohamed Salah has the ball in dangerous areas, something tends to happen. In the 19th minute, something happened. Salah received possession on the edge of the Belgian half, looked up, and threaded a pass through the lines that split the Belgian central defence completely. Emam Ashour ran onto it, took one touch to set his body, and drove a powerful low shot past Thibaut Courtois from outside the box.
It was a goal that combined Salah’s vision with Ashour’s composure — a reminder that Egypt are not merely a one-man team, but that the one man makes every other player around him more dangerous. Belgium, stunned and recalibrating, had work to do.
De Bruyne comes close; the post intervenes.
Belgium‘s response came in waves — possession-heavy, technically precise, but consistently frustrated by an Egyptian defensive structure that was well-drilled and disciplined. Their clearest opportunity arrived in the 53rd minute. Kevin De Bruyne, one of the finest free-kick takers in world football, stood over the ball twenty-two yards from goal, assessed the wall, and curled a magnificent effort over it.
The post stopped it. The ball crashed against the upright bar and ricocheted away. Belgium’s bench slumped. Egypt’s goalkeeper exhaled. It was the kind of moment that changes matches — and it didn’t.
Lukaku off the bench: 28 seconds, one goal
Belgian manager Domenico Tedesco made the change in the 66th minute and the impact was almost instantaneous. Romelu Lukaku entered the pitch. Thomas Meunier delivered a low cross from the right. Lukaku attacked it — his movement, his physicality, his presence in the box — and Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany, attempting to intercept, deflected the ball into his own net.
Twenty-eight seconds. That was all it took for Lukaku to alter the match. He had not touched the ball. He did not need to. His mere arrival created the chaos that Belgium had been unable to manufacture for sixty-five minutes without him. 1–1.
It raised an immediate question for Tedesco: why was Lukaku not starting? A question without an easy answer, and one that will follow the manager into Belgium’s remaining group games.
History made, penalty drama avoided
In the 75th minute, Egypt made their own substitution — Salah came off, and Hamza Abdelkarim entered the pitch to make history. At just 18 years old, Abdelkarim became the youngest player ever to feature for Egypt at a FIFA World Cup. A debut that most 18-year-olds could only dream of, made in front of a Lumen Field crowd that acknowledged the moment with genuine warmth.
The final drama came in the 89th minute. Egypt’s Zizo went down almost inside the penalty area after contact from Belgium’s Maxim De Cuyper and immediately appealed for a penalty. The referee waved play on. VAR reviewed the incident and confirmed the decision — no penalty. Belgium had escaped the most contentious moment of the evening without conceding from the spot.
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What this means for Group G
Both teams leave Seattle with one point and questions to answer. Belgium have the quality in their squad to win this group, but relying on Lukaku as an impact substitute — rather than the focal point of the attack from minute one — is a gamble that could cost them in tighter matches ahead. De Bruyne was excellent in patches but deserved more service and more reliable finishing options around him.
Egypt, by contrast, can feel genuinely satisfied. They led for 47 minutes. They defended well as a unit. Salah, even without a goal, was the most dangerous individual on the pitch and his presence alone forced Belgium to defend differently throughout. If Abdelkarim grows into the tournament and Egypt maintain this defensive organisation, Iran and New Zealand will find them very difficult to beat.
For Indian fans watching the FIFA World Cup 2026™ at 12:30 AM IST, this was a match of quality and controversy in equal measure — Salah’s vision, De Bruyne’s post, Lukaku’s 28-second impact, and a VAR decision in the final minutes that could have rewritten everything. Group G is alive.
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