Belgium head into their FIFA World Cup Group G opener against Egypt in Seattle on Monday unbeaten in 13 matches, following a 5-0 win over Tunisia in Brussels in which five different players scored.

Since taking charge in January 2025, coach Rudi Garcia has overseen a notable turnaround after losing his first match in charge, later helping the team avoid relegation from UEFA Nations League A.

He then guided Belgium through an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing top of their group with 29 goals scored, a tally only Norway surpassed in Europe with 37.

Key attacking roles and injury concerns

Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku has played a central role in Belgium’s attack, contributing to nearly a quarter of their qualifying goals with five scored and two assists, and also registering two assists against Tunisia.

His influence is expected to be important again, especially as Romelu Lukaku has been described as “out of shape” after a season disrupted by recurring muscular injuries and long spells on the sidelines.

Despite that, Lukaku remains Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer and is expected to be motivated at what could be one of his final major tournaments with the national side’s experienced core.

Last 5 Belgium matches stats

Egypt’s hopes built around Salah

Mohamed Salah may enter the tournament eager to respond after a difficult final season with Liverpool, where his 14 goal involvements in the league marked his lowest return since the 2014-15 campaign split between Chelsea and Fiorentina.

He will celebrate his 34th birthday on the day of the match and hopes to lead Egypt to their first-ever World Cup victory.

Salah was directly involved in 60% of Egypt’s goals during qualifying, scoring nine and assisting three in an unbeaten campaign, while head coach Hossam Hassan is expected to adopt a cautious approach, allowing both Salah and Omar Marmoush attacking freedom.

Egypt comes into the tournament without injury concerns after a 1-0 win over Russia and a 2-1 loss to Brazil in warm-up matches.

Last 5 Egypt matches stats

History between both sides and key statistics

This will be the first World Cup meeting between Belgium and Egypt, although they have faced each other four times in friendlies, with Egypt winning three of those matches compared to Belgium’s one.

Their most recent encounter came in November 2022 in Kuwait City, where Egypt won 2-1 thanks to goals from Mostafa Mohamed and Trezeguet.

Belgium has lost only once in five World Cup matches against African teams (W3 D1), with that defeat coming against Morocco in 2022.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is set to make his 16th World Cup appearance, drawing level with Jan Ceulemans and sitting just behind Enzo Scifo’s national record of 17.

Past H2H Results

Prediction and expected outcome

Belgium enter this World Cup Group G opener as clear favourites thanks to their strong recent form, long unbeaten run, and impressive attacking output during qualification. Rudi Garcia’s side have gone 13 matches without defeat, topped their qualifying group with 29 goals scored, and recently produced a 5-0 win over Tunisia with multiple players contributing on the scoresheet, underlining their depth and offensive variety.

Egypt, however, arrive with a dangerous edge built around Mohamed Salah, who remains central to everything they do in attack. Despite a mixed club campaign, he was directly involved in 60% of Egypt’s goals in qualifying and will be motivated to deliver a landmark result on his birthday. With Salah supported by players like Omar Marmoush, Egypt have enough threat in transition to punish any defensive lapses.

The most likely scenario is a controlled Belgian performance in terms of possession and territory, with Egypt sitting deeper and relying on counter-attacks to stay competitive. Belgium’s creativity through wide areas, especially Jeremy Doku, is expected to stretch Egypt’s defensive structure, but the match may remain tight if Egypt stay organised and disciplined for long periods.

Prediction: Belgium 2-1 Egypt

Expected outcome: A narrow Belgian victory where their superior squad depth and attacking consistency ultimately prove decisive, but not without resistance from Egypt. The Pharaohs are likely to remain competitive throughout, with Salah’s influence keeping them within reach, even if Belgium’s quality in the final third edges the result in their favour.

The opening stages in Dallas were slow to develop, with both sides struggling to create clear openings in a match that had been widely anticipated in the group stage. Gradually, the Netherlands began to assert themselves, with their Premier League-heavy lineup edging control of the contest.

Donyell Malen was the most threatening outlet for the Dutch during the first half, repeatedly testing Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who produced three important stops to keep his side level before the break.

The Japan national football team stayed compact and disciplined, but the Netherlands created the clearer chances as they looked to take advantage of their growing influence.

Van Dijk’s header breaks the deadlock

After a relatively quiet opening period, the match exploded into life shortly after halftime when the Netherlands struck first. Virgil van Dijk rose to meet a precise cross from Ryan Gravenberch, directing a firm header into the net to give his team the lead.

Japan responded quickly and refused to be unsettled, pushing forward with renewed intent and finding an equaliser just six minutes later. Keito Nakamura unleashed a powerful low attempt that beat goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to bring the sides level again.

The Netherlands national football team did not take long to regain control, however, and once more pushed ahead after Crysencio Summerville cut inside and finished with a low strike beyond Suzuki, restoring their advantage midway through the second half.

Momentum swings in a second-half thriller

The second period turned into a fast-moving contest, with both teams trading momentum. After falling behind for a second time, Japan continued to press forward rather than retreat, maintaining pressure on the Dutch defence.

Despite the Netherlands’ attacking talent and a squad featuring several Premier League players, they struggled to fully settle after regaining the lead, leaving the door open for continued Japanese pressure.

The tempo increased as the match wore on, with both sides sensing the importance of the opening group fixture and pushing for control in midfield and attacking areas.

Kamada’s late header secures deserved point

With just minutes remaining, Japan found their breakthrough when Daichi Kamada guided a clever header past the Dutch goalkeeper after connecting with Koki Ogawa’s effort, levelling the match in the closing stages.

The late goal capped a determined performance from Japan, who had twice come from behind and showed resilience throughout to earn a valuable draw in their opening game.

For the Netherlands, the result felt like a missed opportunity after leading twice and failing to hold onto advantage, leaving their coaching staff and players frustrated at not closing out the match.

Germany made a rapid start in Houston, taking the lead in the sixth minute through a curling finish from Felix Nmecha after a sharp touch from Florian Wirtz, marking the quickest goal of the tournament so far. The early strike gave Die Mannschaft immediate control and set the tone for an attacking opening spell.

However, Curacao responded against the odds to level the match midway through the first half. Livano Comenencia struck from distance with a left-footed effort that took a deflection before beating Manuel Neuer, the 40-year-old goalkeeper appearing at his fifth World Cup and setting a new national age record for Germany. The goal was a historic moment for the debutants and briefly unsettled the favourites.

Curacao also had a penalty appeal turned down soon after Jurgen Locadia broke into the box, but the referee waved play on. A hydration break followed shortly afterwards, giving Germany a chance to regroup after a spell of pressure.

Germany regain control before halftime

Once play resumed, Germany reasserted themselves and quickly rebuilt their advantage. Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead with a near-post header from a corner delivered by Nathaniel Brown, shifting momentum back toward Julian Nagelsmann’s side.

Their pressure continued to build, and just before the interval Kai Havertz calmly converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time after a foul on Nmecha inside the box. The composed finish gave Germany a stronger cushion heading into the break after a competitive opening period.

Second-half surge seals dominant victory

Germany accelerated further after the restart, scoring almost immediately when Jamal Musiala finished neatly from a Joshua Kimmich pass just over a minute into the half. That goal effectively broke Curacao’s resistance and opened the door to a one-sided second period.

Nathaniel Brown then added another with a volley following a clever assist from substitute Deniz Undav, who soon got on the scoresheet himself by finishing Kimmich’s pass. The attacking wave continued as Undav later set up Havertz, who lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to complete Germany’s seventh goal two minutes from time, matching one of their biggest World Cup scorelines and moving them ahead as the competition’s all-time leading scorers with 239 goals.

Curacao’s debut marked by pride and heavy defeat

Despite the heavy scoreline, Curacao had moments of promise in their first-ever World Cup appearance. Their equaliser brought a surge of belief, and their early attacking intent showed resilience against one of the tournament favourites.

Manager Dick Advocaat, aged 78 years and 260 days, also made history as the oldest coach in World Cup history. After the match, he acknowledged Germany’s superiority, saying his team conceded too easily and that a 4-1 scoreline would have felt more representative, though he emphasised the pride of the supporters and the value of the experience ahead of their remaining group matches against the Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

Curacao ultimately became the first debutants in 72 years to lose their opening World Cup match by six goals, underlining both the scale of the challenge they faced and the gap at the highest level.