Belgium avoided a stunning World Cup opening-day defeat on Monday, battling back to share the points with Egypt in a 1-1 draw played in Seattle — a result secured largely thanks to the second-half arrival of all-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku.
Egypt drew first blood against the flow of play in the 19th minute, when midfielder Emam Ashour unleashed a powerful strike past the goalkeeper for his maiden international goal.
Belgium had several opportunities to pull level before halftime but couldn’t convert. Jeremy Doku badly sliced a shot wide just before the break, and Kevin De Bruyne struck the post with a well-struck free kick as Egypt’s confidence grew. A win would have marked their first World Cup victory in four appearances at the tournament.
The turning point came in the 66th minute when Lukaku — who managed little more than an hour of playing time for Italian club Napoli this season due to injury — entered the match. Within roughly 20 seconds, Belgium were level, as defender Mohamed Hany turned a threatening cross into his own net.
Neither team was satisfied with a draw as the match entered its final stages. Lukaku himself had a prime opportunity to win it with two minutes left in regulation but failed to convert a close-range header.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia praised Lukaku’s immediate influence on the game and kept a positive outlook, though he acknowledged that Sunday’s matchup against Iran in Los Angeles is now a must-win situation.
“We’re still in the competition, foot in the door, but now obviously we have to win against Iran,” Garcia said.
The other two sides in Group G — Iran and New Zealand — were set to meet in Los Angeles later Monday.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan expressed pride in how his team performed against a strong opponent and felt his side deserved more than a point.
“We were the ones who scored the opening goal, and they equalised,” Hassan said. “I believe we were closer to winning — we really were. The chances we created were arguably more in our favour.”
Both teams started the match carefully, but Belgium quickly asserted themselves. De Bruyne had the game’s first clear-cut chance, pulling a shot wide from outside the box.
Just as Belgium appeared to be taking control, Egypt captain Mo Salah — playing in a deeper central position on his 34th birthday — set up Ashour, who fired past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at full stretch to put Egypt ahead.
Belgium pushed hard as halftime approached, but Leandro Trossard completely missed a cutback from Doku, who then had a golden chance to equalize in stoppage time but squandered it.
Early in the second half, De Bruyne’s free kick beat goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir only to clang off the post. Egypt also missed opportunities to extend their advantage as Belgium pressed forward and left themselves exposed at the back.
Lukaku’s introduction ultimately changed the game, and Garcia admitted that his team still leans heavily on the striker.
“We know how he can be difficult for the opponent and we needed him to come on,” the coach said.
Lukaku did show signs of rustiness, however, heading a cross from fellow substitute Nicolas Raskin over an open goal from close range late in the match.
In the frantic closing moments, Egypt appealed loudly for a penalty when Ahmed Mostafa “Zizo” went to ground after contact from Maxim De Cuyper, but the referee waved play on with no VAR review called.
Hassan was furious with the decision.
“What surprises me is that there was no VAR review and the referee didn’t even consider going back to check it or stopping play,” he said. “That was a 100% penalty. If it had been against us, it would have been given.”
