Ashour stunner helps Egypt earn share of spoils against Belgium in FIFA World Cup

Belgium and Egypt played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in their FIFA World Cup 2026 encounter, with both sides producing moments of quality in a fiercely contested battle. Featuring star names Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, the match delivered attacking flair, physical intensity, and drama as neither side could find a decisive winner.

Making their 15th FIFA World Cup appearance, Belgium started brightly and imposed themselves early with an aggressive high press. Kevin De Bruyne registered the first shot on target of the match in the 7th minute as the Red Devils looked to capitalize on their dominance in possession.

Egypt strike first

Despite Belgium’s positive start, Egypt struck first in spectacular fashion in the 20th minute. Mohamed Salah, celebrating his 34th birthday, turned provider as he laid the ball off for Emam Ashour, who unleashed a stunning long-range effort that flew past the goalkeeper to give the Pharaohs the lead.

The match remained highly physical throughout, with both teams battling intensely across midfield and creating opportunities at either end. Belgium continued to press for an equaliser and eventually found one in the 66th minute when Mohamed Hany inadvertently turned the ball into his own net while attempting to prevent substitute Romelu Lukaku from converting a dangerous delivery from Youri Tielemans.

Emam Ashour unleashed a stunning long-range effort that flew past the goalkeeper to give the Pharaohs the lead. Pics: Instagram

Belgium pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages, but Egypt’s defence stood firm. A crucial save in the 83rd minute denied a powerful Belgian header and ensured the scores remained level heading into the final whistle.

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While Belgium enjoyed long spells of possession and sustained pressure, Egypt’s disciplined defending and Ashour’s spectacular strike earned them a valuable point. The result leaves both teams with plenty of positives to build on as their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns continue.

Incredibly race occurrence

It is an incredibly rare occurrence! To be precise, four consecutive matches actually ended in a draw over that 24-hour tournament window.  This unusual streak of stalemates broke a 68-year-old tournament record. The last time four World Cup matches ended in a draw on the exact same day was all the way back on June 15, 1958, during the World Cup in Sweden.

Here is how the four consecutive draws panned out:

Spain 0–0 Cape Verde: Tournament debutants Cape Verde pulled off a massive upset by holding the European giants to a scoreless draw, thanks to a heroic 7-save performance from their 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha.

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Belgium 1–1 Egypt: Group G opened up with both sides splitting the points in a tightly contested 1-1 battle.

Saudi Arabia 1–1 Uruguay: Abdulelah Al-Amri put Saudi Arabia ahead in the first half, but Maximiliano Araújo found a late 80th-minute equalizer for Uruguay to salvage a point.

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Iran 2–2 New Zealand: The streak culminated in a highly entertaining, high-scoring thriller in Los Angeles. Elijah Just scored a brace for New Zealand, while Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi struck for Iran to keep the points perfectly split.

It completely blew the group standings wide open, leaving fans wondering which team would finally step up to break the draw streak! Which of these matches did you find the most surprising?

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