Belgium and Egypt have met four times before, with all of those encounters coming in friendlies. Egypt has won three of them—including a 2–1 victory in 2022—while Belgium has claimed the other.
The two nations begin their 2026 World Cup campaigns knowing that an opening victory could provide a major boost in the race to progress from Group G. On paper, Belgium is the stronger side. The Red Devils sit 10th in the FIFA World Rankings, compared to Egypt’s 30th, and arrive unbeaten in over a year after recent wins over Croatia and Tunisia. Egypt, meanwhile, has won just two of its last six matches and most recently fell 2–1 to Brazil.
History also favors the Europeans. Egypt has not advanced beyond the World Cup group stage since 1934, while Belgium has become a regular knockout-stage participant, most notably finishing third in 2018. Still, Belgium’s surprise group-stage exit in 2022 proves that reputations count for little once the tournament begins.
