The opening half of the Belgium vs Egypt clash brought an unexpected twist as Mohamed Salah and his teammates stunned the favourites.

According to reports, the Belgium vs Egypt match marked the first matchday in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.

The game took place at Seattle Stadium on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, in the early hours of Western Indonesia Time.

Belgium, featuring Arsenal star Leandro Trossard and Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne, were left frustrated in the first half despite their dominance.

Although Belgium controlled much of the play, it was Egypt that struck first against the run of play.

Egypt took the lead in the 19th minute thanks to a superb long-range strike from Eman Ashour.

First Half

Belgium began the match with strong attacking intent, pressing high and creating multiple chances in the opening minutes.

Kevin De Bruyne unleashed a powerful shot from outside the Egyptian penalty area in the 7th minute, but it narrowly missed the target.

The European side continued to attack relentlessly until around the 15th minute, while Egypt looked for opportunities to hit back on the counter.

At that stage, the score remained goalless at 0-0.

However, Egypt broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Eman Ashour fired a thunderous strike past Thibaut Courtois after receiving a clever assist from Mohamed Salah.

Belgium pressed hard to equalise, with Youri Tielemans heading an attempt towards goal in the 31st minute, though it failed to find the net.

Courtois was then called into action, pulling off a fine save to deny Mostafa Zico’s powerful effort in the 33rd minute.

Leandro Trossard nearly restored parity for Belgium in the 39th minute when he found space inside the Egyptian box, but his shot was blocked by the defence.

Belgium kept up their pressure right through stoppage time, but Egypt held firm to end the first half with a 1-0 advantage.

Line-ups: Belgium vs Egypt

Belgium

Starting XI: Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Timothy Castagne, Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana, Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, and Charles De Ketelaere.

Substitutes: Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, Arthur Theate, Joaquin Seys, Koni De Winter, Maxim De Cuyper, Alexis Saelemaekers, Axel Witsel, Diego Moreira, Dodi Lukebakio, Nicolas Raskin, Hans Vanaken, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, and Romelu Lukaku.

Egypt

Starting XI: Mostafa Shobeir, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Hamdy Fathy, Ahmed Fatouh, Mohanad Lasheen, Marwan Attia, Mohamed Salah (C), Emam Ashour, Mostafa Zico, and Omar Marmoush.

Substitutes: Mahdi Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Mohammed El-Shenawy, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Karim Hafez, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Rami Rabia, Tarek Alaa, Haissem Hassan, Ibrahim Adel, Mahmoud Saber, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Nabil Donga, Zizo, and Hamza Abdelkarim.

Local Business Spotlight: Jersey Sales Boom in Solo

Among the local entrepreneurs benefiting from the World Cup fever is Nofi Setiawan, owner of NS Jersey in Solo, who shared his story and predictions for the tournament.

He began his jersey business back in high school while studying marketing. “It started as a school project. I was studying marketing and decided to test this business idea. It grew from a hobby into a full-time business after graduation,” he explained.

“Now, the business has grown quite a bit. We sell adult jerseys in both standard and player-issue versions, as well as shorts and kids’ jerseys,” Nofi told reporters on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.

He added that his business became more serious after the COVID-19 pandemic. “Before 2020, it was just a hobby. But after the pandemic hit, I started taking it seriously, and the business has expanded steadily since then.”

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now underway, Nofi noted that demand for jerseys typically spikes after the group stage concludes.

According to him, European teams like Germany and France top the sales charts, followed by South American giants Brazil and Argentina. “The most popular jerseys are from Germany and France. Portugal comes next, mostly because of Ronaldo. Argentina and Brazil are always in high demand too,” he said.

Interestingly, Nofi mentioned that Dutch jerseys are especially popular in eastern Indonesia. “We often send Dutch jerseys to eastern regions because many people there have Dutch ancestry,” he explained.

He observed that customers usually choose jerseys based on three factors: design, favourite players or teams, and budget. “Fans often buy depending on who they support—like Ronaldo, Mbappe, or Messi—and of course, their budget,” he added.

Nofi also noted that sales tend to increase when a team performs well in the tournament. “It’s always exciting when I still have old stock and that team goes far. For example, when Argentina reached the semifinals in 2022, their jerseys sold out quickly, and prices went up,” he recalled.

As for logistics, Nofi has shipped jerseys as far as Papua and Maluku, often sending bulk orders of around 12 pieces to help customers save on shipping costs.

“I have customers in Papua and Maluku. They usually gather orders from friends to reduce delivery fees,” he said.

(TribunWow.com)