Lukaku rescues Belgium from opening World Cup defeat as Egypt forces 1-1 draw in Seattle
Romelu Lukaku forced an own goal 23 seconds after coming on, cancelling Emam Ashour's first-half strike and earning Belgium a 1-1 draw with Egypt in their World Cup opener in Seattle.
Belgium's "Golden Generation" veterans needed a second-half rescue act to avoid a first-match defeat in Group G, as Romelu Lukaku's instant impact cancelled out Egypt's early brilliance at Lumen Field.
Egypt strikes first
Egypt stunned the Red Devils in the 19th minute when Emam Ashour drilled a low shot past Thibaut Courtois after a move created by Mohamed Salah. The Pharaohs, who have never won a World Cup match, were the aggressors for much of the first half, with Mostafa Ziko forcing a sharp save from Courtois and Omar Marmoush wasting a chance to double the lead just before the break. Belgium failed to produce a single shot on target before the interval, with Jérémy Doku neutralised down the left and Leandro Trossard frequently losing possession.
We know that we had a bad start in the match.
Lukaku turns the tide
Coach Rudi Garcia introduced Lukaku in the 66th minute, and the Chelsea striker immediately unsettled Egypt's defence. A low cross from Thomas Meunier found Lukaku, whose involvement forced Mohamed Hany to prod the ball into his own net, levelling the score at 1-1 only 23 seconds after the substitution. Kevin De Bruyne had earlier rattled the post with a free-kick in the 53rd minute, and Youri Tielemans fired wide from a corner on the hour mark, but Lukaku's arrival finally broke Egypt's resistance.
No game's an easy game in the World Cup.
A group still wide open
Belgium, ranked 10th in the world and the clear favourite in Group G, now sits level on points with Egypt (29th) ahead of Sunday's match against Iran in Inglewood, California. New Zealand (79th) completes the group. With 32 teams advancing to the knockout stage in this expanded 2026 edition, the Red Devils still have a comfortable path, but Garcia conceded the margin for error has shrunk.
We have to win against Iran, there's no two ways around it.
The fitness question
Lukaku, Belgium's all-time leading scorer, is still regaining match sharpness after a hamstring injury. Tielemans described him as a "target man" whose presence changes the attack even when he is not fully fit. De Bruyne was substituted in the 85th minute as Belgium chased a winner, but the Pharaohs held firm, with goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir tipping away a late drive from Brandon Mechele.
- Kevin De Bruyne shot goes wide of the post.
- Emam Ashour scores for Egypt after a Salah pass.
- Courtois parries a powerful shot from Mostafa Ziko.
- De Bruyne free-kick hits the post.
- Lukaku enters the game; 23 seconds later Mohamed Hany scores an own goal to make it 1-1.
- De Bruyne substituted for Hans Vanaken.
What comes next
The draw extends Belgium's uneasy World Cup trajectory: after a third-place finish in 2018, the team failed to advance from the group stage in 2022. Lukaku's impact in Seattle offers a short-term fix, but the defensive lapses and lack of first-half creativity that allowed Egypt to dictate tempo will need to be addressed before the Iran match.
