- Belgium have won 7 and drawn 3 of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Egypt have won 5, drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 10 in all competitions.
- Belgium beat Croatia 2-0 away and Tunisia 5-0 at home in their most recent matches.
Pharaohs' defense to be tested by Red Devils
Belgium face a tough test in their opening Group G match against Egypt at Seattle Stadium in Seattle on Monday. Hossam Hassan's Pharaohs have been in mixed form recently with two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five matches. Their most recent fixture was a 2-1 defeat away to Brazil, who are the runaway leaders in the World Rankings and favourites for the upcoming tournament. Hassan has made Egypt difficult to break down by setting his team up to be disciplined and compact. They defend deep in a low block and look to break with lightning speed on the counter attack, with talisman Mohamed Salah leading their quick transitions and Mostafa Ziko supporting him. Belgium are a high-possession team that are just as capable of pressing opponents and suffocating them high up the pitch as they are of controlling the tempo when in possession. Rudi Garcia has instilled a flexible and aggressive tactical identity on the team since he took over in January 2025 that could see them dominate the match on Monday.
Belgium to win in a back and forth contest
Kevin De Bruyne is the orchestrator of their attacking game, but Jeremy Doku's pace and Romelu Lukaku's clinical finishing could be the difference in this game. The match will be lively with goals at both ends of the field likely and a Belgium win seems the most probable outcome.
There is nothing boring about this Belgium team and they have averaged an incredible 4.5 goals per game across their last 4 home matches. However, this match is being played at Seattle Stadium, where the Pharaohs may have an easier time containing the pace of the Red Devils.
Belgium's high line and pressing will test Egypt's defensive resolve, so I think both teams to score and over 2.5 goals is the best play here. Belgium are a short 18/25 to win the game but that seems too short, so we will leave that to the accumulator bettors. Both teams to score is at 23/25 and over 2.5 goals at 1/1, and it is our selection here.
