Lukaku’s arrival forces the own goal that rescues Belgium against Egypt
Emam Ashour’s first international goal had Egypt dreaming of a famous win, but Romelu Lukaku’s introduction forced a late own goal to rescue Belgium a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener.
Jun 15, 2026
Egypt led Belgium for the best part of an hour and will spend the rest of the World Cup wondering how they failed to win it. Emam Ashour’s first goal for his country had the Pharaohs in front in Seattle, only for Romelu Lukaku to come off the bench and, within seconds, drag Belgium level through a Mohamed Hany own goal. It finished 1-1, a Group G opener that flattered the Red Devils and left Egypt’s long search for a World Cup victory still going.
Ashour punishes a flat Belgium
For an hour this was Egypt’s game. Belgium, under Rudi Garcia, never found a rhythm in the first half and were made to pay in the 19th minute. Ashour, the Al Ahly midfielder, took a touch on the edge of the box and drove a low shot through a thicket of bodies and beyond Thibaut Courtois. It was his first goal in an Egypt shirt, and it was some way to break the duck.
Garcia had asked his players to take control and chase top spot in the group. Instead they spent the opening 45 minutes second to Egypt, who carried the greater threat and might have had a second before the break. Kevin De Bruyne’s clearest sight of goal was a tame effort straight at the goalkeeper, a fair measure of how little Belgium were offering going forward.
Lukaku changes everything in seconds
The match turned the instant Lukaku appeared. Garcia sent the striker on in the 66th minute with his side a goal down, and seconds later the equaliser arrived. Lukaku charged onto a cross from the right, and the threat of his run panicked Hany into stabbing the ball into his own net while trying to clear. The Belgium striker had not so much scored as frightened a defender into scoring for him.
It was the intervention Belgium had been crying out for. De Bruyne and Lukaku both had further glimpses of goal as the Red Devils finally pushed forward with intent, but Egypt held firm for a point that, on the run of play, they would have felt was the very least they deserved.
A familiar wait goes on for Egypt
This was Egypt’s fourth World Cup, after 1934, 1990 and 2018, and they are still chasing a first win at the tournament. The draw stretches a record that now reads no victories in eight finals matches, and for Mohamed Salah, captaining what is almost certainly his last World Cup, it was the kind of chance that may not come around again. Egypt were the better team and have only a single point to show for it.
Belgium, beaten to the second round at the last World Cup and arriving in North America with their golden generation past its peak, will take the result and the reminder of what Lukaku can still do to a game. Group G also holds Iran and New Zealand, so neither side has run out of road, but Egypt will know they let a rare opportunity slip.