Salah's birthday spoiled as Egypt held by Belgium in World Cup opener

Mohamed Salah celebrated his 34th birthday on the pitch in Seattle, but the gift he really wanted — Egypt's first World Cup victory — slipped away again.

Belgium and Egypt played out a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener on Monday. Emam Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead early, but Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour mark to force an own goal from Egypt's Mohamed Hany.

The result means Egypt's wait for a first win at the World Cup continues. This is their fourth appearance at the tournament. They've now played eight matches across 1934, 1990, 2018 and 2026 without a single victory. Their best result before Monday was a 1-1 draw with Italy in 1934.

For Belgium, this tournament feels like a last dance. The golden generation that finished third in Russia eight years ago is winding down. Veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Lukaku are still around, but this is probably their final shot at silverware.

The game started with both stars — Salah and De Bruyne — looking sharp. De Bruyne dragged a shot just wide in the seventh minute. But it was Ashour who stole the show first. He picked up the ball in a similar spot to De Bruyne's early chance, and his sweet strike gave Courtois no chance, finding the bottom-right corner.

That was only the second time Egypt had ever taken the lead in a World Cup match. The first was in 2018, when Salah scored against Saudi Arabia. Egypt lost that game 2-1.

De Bruyne came close to equalising early in the second half. His free-kick from close range cleared the wall but smacked off the outside of the post. Salah then had a downward header saved by Courtois, and Ashour blazed the rebound over.

Both sides pushed. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans unleashed a screaming left-footed volley that flew just wide. The game opened up as tired legs appeared.

Then came the change. Rudi Garcia sent on Lukaku in the 65th minute. It worked immediately. Thomas Meunier crossed from the right, and Lukaku dashed into the box. His presence alone was enough to panic Hany, who turned the ball into his own net.

Salah left the field with 15 minutes left as Egypt shut up shop. They held on for a point.

Egypt now face Iran and New Zealand in their remaining group games. If they want to finally break their World Cup hoodoo, those are the matches to do it. For Belgium, the pressure is on to turn draws into wins if they want to go deep in North America.