2026 FIFA World Cup: Lukaku's influence spares Belgium against Salah-inspired egypt

Belgium's record scorer, Romelu Lukaku, came off the bench to force an own goal, which helped the Red Devils avoid defeat against a Mohamed Salah-inspired Egypt.

The Pharaohs looked set to join Ivory Coast as the only African countries with wins in the tournament so far after Salah set up Emam Ashour. However, Belgium's 90-goal man created chaos seconds after coming off the bench, forcing Mohamed Hany to turn the ball into his own goal.

Egypt, returning to the World Cup after missing out in 2022, entered the game as underdogs against a 9th-ranked Belgian side that had gone 13 matches without a loss. 

However, Hossam Hassan's team proved to be incredibly resilient, effectively disrupting Belgium's rhythm and causing serious problems on the counter-attack.

The Pharaohs stunned Belgium midway through the first half. Playing in a central role which seemed to catch Red Devils coach Rudi Garcia unprepared, Mohamed Salah delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Emam Ashour, who thundered a shot past Thibaut Courtois to give Egypt a shock 1-0 lead.

Falling behind jolted Belgium into an even higher gear, but finding a way through the Pharaohs' disciplined ranks proved incredibly frustrating. 

For the remainder of the first half and deep into the second, the Europeans laid siege to the Egyptian penalty area. De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans pulled the strings but were frustrated by Egypt’s discipline.

As the clock ticked past the hour mark and the 1-0 deficit began to look increasingly permanent, Garcia turned to his bench for salvation. 

In the 65th minute, he introduced all-time leading goalscorer Romelu Lukaku, replacing Charles De Ketelaere. 

Lukaku had arrived at the tournament under a cloud of doubt following an injury-plagued season with Napoli, but his impact on this match was instantaneous.

Less than thirty seconds after stepping onto the pitch, Lukaku's sheer physical presence disrupted the Egyptian backline. Surging into the box to meet a dangerous cross, the striker caused panic, forcing Egyptian defender Hany into a desperate intervention that inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.

With the score levelled at 1-1, the final stages of the match evolved into a breathless, end-to-end affair. Both sides possessed the quality to snatch a late winner, and both came agonisingly close. 

Lukaku nearly completed a perfect cameo in the 88th minute, rising highest to meet a cross, only to see his powerful header sail over the crossbar. 

Moments later, the drama shifted to the other end of the pitch when Egyptian winger Zizo went down under a challenge from De Cuyper around the penalty area. 

The Egyptian bench erupted in appeals, but a swift VAR review confirmed the referee's decision to wave play on, ensuring the spoils were shared.

With points shared in the opening fixture, Group G is wide open. For Belgium, the result is a slightly disappointing start, but their impressive unbeaten streak remains intact as they look ahead to their match against IR Iran. 

For Egypt, securing a point against the group favourites is a laudable achievement, especially considering this match fell on Mohamed Salah's 34th birthday.

Both nations will be keeping a very close eye on the result between IR Iran and New Zealand to fully understand the landscape of their group as the tournament progresses.