Seattle welcomes the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, when Belgium and Egypt kick off Group G at Lumen Field in matchup of the group favorites, and the two sides are eager to snap their respective World Cup curses.
After crashing out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Belgium face a different crossroads towards the 2026 knockouts. The program has a closing window on its golden generation, with Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Kevin De Bruyne potentially in their quest for a World Cup trophy. Head coach Rudi Garcia will likely keep his squad tactically fluid as he combines veteran experience with exciting talents like attackers Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere.
While Doku and De Ketelaere are more of present-day players than a future wave for the Red Devils, they'll need all components to come together for a special run.
There's no better motivator than failure, and Egypt's absence from the first-ever World Cup hosted by an Arab nation, Qatar, in 2022 has propelled the team into 2026.
Under Hossam Hassan since 2024, the squad can operate disciplined and compact depending on their opponent, all designed to release attackers into dangerous spaces -- enter team captain Mohamed Salah. In what could be his last World Cup, Salah steps back into the spotlight, closing in on one of the biggest milestones in Egyptian soccer. He's just two goals behind the national scoring record (69), currently held by his head coach.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the match:
How to watch Belgium vs. Egypt
Date: Monday, June 15 | Time: 3 p.m. ET Location: Lumen Field -- Seattle, Wash. TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: Belgium -155 Draw: +285 Egypt: +425
Belgium vs. Egypt predicted starting lineups
Belgium: Thibaut Courtois; Thomas Meunier, Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy, Timothy Castagne, Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans; Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Charles De Ketelaere
Egypt: Mostafa Shobeir; Mohamed Abdelmonem, Yasser Ibrahim, Hamdy Fathy; Mohamed Hany, Mohanad Lasheen, Marwan Ateya, Ahmed El Fotouh, Mohamed Salah; Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet
Keep up with the World Cup standings here!
Belgium vs. Egypt pick, prediction
Watch for Belgium to capitalize on its creativity and dominate possession. Though it might not be enough to keep an eager Egypt and Salah at bay. Pick: Belgium 2, Egypt 1
Check out our World Cup expert predictions.
Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long
Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament. Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups. The day wraps with Scoreline, a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.
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