World Cup 2026: Rudi Garcia hails Belgium’s resilience in draw against Egypt in opener

SEATTLE: Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia praised his squad’s resilience after his side recovered from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw against Egypt in their opening Group G fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup here at Seattle Stadium on Monday.

Belgium were frustrated for long periods by a disciplined Egyptian side and fell behind in the first half when Emam Ashour converted the Pharaohs’ first clear opportunity after being set up by Mohamed Salah.

Egypt remained compact in defence and looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Omar Marmoush also threatening the Belgian backline.

Garcia’s side returned for the second half with greater urgency, but it took the introduction of Romelu Lukaku in the 66th minute to change the course of the match.

The Napoli striker made an immediate impact, forcing an own goal from defender Mohamed Hany just 28 seconds after entering the field following a delivery from Thomas Meunier.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also played a crucial role in preserving the result, producing several key saves, including a diving stop to deny Salah shortly after the break.

Reflecting on the contest, Garcia expressed satisfaction with his team’s resilience.

“The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa’s top teams like Egypt,” Garcia said.

“The important thing is that we stayed in the game. We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is. It was a great game between two very good teams.”

The draw earned Belgium a valuable point to begin their World Cup campaign.