Mohamed Salah turned 34 on Monday, but there wasn't any gift from his teammates. Egypt drew 1-1 with Belgium in their World Cup Group G opener in Seattle, extending their long wait for a first win at the tournament.
Emam Ashour gave Egypt the lead early in the first half. The midfielder received the ball in a similar position to Kevin De Bruyne's earlier chance, but his sweetly struck effort left Thibaut Courtois with no chance as it whistled into the bottom-right corner. It was just the second time Egypt had taken the lead in a World Cup match — after Salah scored against Saudi Arabia in 2018.
Belgium fought back after the hour. Coach Rudi Garcia sent on Romelu Lukaku, and the change paid off immediately. The all-time top scorer for Belgium dashed onto a Thomas Meunier cross, and his presence was enough to force Egypt's Mohamed Hany into an own goal.
"The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa's top teams," Garcia said. "We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is."
For Egypt, the draw means their wait for a first World Cup victory continues. This is their fourth appearance at the global showpiece, and they've never won a match. With Group G fixtures against Iran and New Zealand to come, they'll hope to break that hoodoo in North America.
"We know Belgium are a good team, (they have) good quality players but we can't say it was the hardest game or the easiest game. Every game for us has got to be three points," Egypt's 18-year-old Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim said.
Salah had a chance to win it late on. He ghosted into the box and directed a downward header that Courtois punched away. Ashour then got his follow-up all wrong. Salah departed the field with 15 minutes remaining as Egypt sought to hold on for a point.
For Belgium, the draw continues a worrying trend. They're now without a win in their last three World Cup matches, going back to their group-stage exit in 2022. This tournament is likely the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation to improve on their third-placed finish in Russia eight years ago.
Veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku are the main protagonists of that group still involved in Garcia's squad. De Bruyne came closest to scoring in the second half when his close-range free-kick rocketed off the outside of the post.
The match became stretched as both sides pushed for a winner. Belgian captain Youri Tielemans smashed a left-footed volley that went just wide. But neither side could find the breakthrough, and the points were shared.