Belgium came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Egypt in their opening Group G match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday.
Egypt took the lead in the first half through Emam Ashour, but Belgium responded after the break when pressure from substitute Romelu Lukaku forced Mohamed Hany into an own goal.
The result leaves Egypt still searching for their first-ever World Cup victory after four appearances at the tournament.
Playing in Seattle, Belgium created the first clear opening when Kevin De Bruyne fired narrowly wide inside the opening 10 minutes.
Egypt made their breakthrough shortly before the first cooling break. Ashour collected the ball outside the area and struck a powerful low effort beyond Thibaut Courtois and into the bottom corner.
The goal marked only the second time Egypt have led a World Cup match. The first came when Mohamed Salah scored against Saudi Arabia at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Belgium nearly found an equaliser early in the second half. De Bruyne curled a free-kick over the Egyptian wall, but his effort struck the outside of the post.
Egypt almost doubled their advantage moments later when Salah found space inside the penalty area, only for Courtois to deny him with a strong save. Ashour failed to convert the rebound.
As the game opened up, both teams pushed forward in search of goals. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans came close with a powerful volley before head coach Rudi Garcia introduced Lukaku in the 65th minute.
The substitution had an immediate impact.
Lukaku attacked a cross from Thomas Meunier and his movement unsettled defender Mohamed Hany, who diverted the ball into his own net under pressure.
Egypt withdrew Salah with 15 minutes remaining as they focused on protecting their point. Belgium continued to press but could not find a winner.
The draw leaves both teams with one point after their opening Group G fixture.
Egypt will next face Iran and New Zealand as they continue their bid for a first World Cup win, while Belgium hope to improve on their strong tournament start in the remaining group matches.
