Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup opener on Monday after a second-half Belgian equalizer spoiled Mohamed Salah‘s 34th birthday.

Emam Ashour opened the scoring early in the first half in Seattle, before Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour to force Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goal.

The draw leaves both teams level at the top of Group G, ahead of the match between Iran and New Zealand.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: All the fixtures

The result means seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt’s wait for a first victory at a World Cup goes on.

This is their fourth participation in the global showpiece and with fixtures to come against Iran and New Zealand, they will hope to break that hoodoo in North America.

For Belgium, this tournament is likely the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation to better their third-placed finish in Russia eight years ago and finally win silverware.

Veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Lukaku are the main protagonists of that group still involved in Rudi Garcia’s squad.

Ashour’s belter

With all eyes in the Pacific Northwest on Salah and De Bruyne, it was the ex-Manchester City playmaker that created the first moment of note in the match when he dragged a sharp effort narrowly wide in the seventh minute.

However, it was Ashour who upstaged the pair just before the hydration break when he received the ball in a similar position to De Bruyne but his sweetly-struck effort left Courtois no chance as it whistled into the bottom-right corner.

It was just the second time in their history that Egypt had taken the lead in a World Cup match — after Salah opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2018.

De Bruyne came within inches of levelling early in the second period when he whipped a close-range free-kick over the Egyptian wall, only to see it rocket off the outside of the post.

Salah responded at the other end as he ghosted into the box but had his downward header punched away by Courtois with Ashour getting his follow-up effort all wrong.

The match became stretched as both sides came close on a couple of occasions, including a screaming left-footed volley by Belgian captain Youri Tielemans.

With 65 minutes gone, Rudi Garcia decided to send on Lukaku.

The change immediately paid dividends as Belgium’s all-time top goalscorer showed his predatory instincts to dash in on a Thomas Meunier cross, with his presence enough to destabilize Hany who put through his own net.

Salah departed the field with 15 minutes remaining as Egypt sought to shut up shop and ultimately held out for a point.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters)

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has explained why he was overcome with emotion after his heroic performance against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 40-year-old goalkeeper was named Man of the Match after producing seven saves to help Cape Verde secure a historic 0-0 draw against the European champions in their first-ever World Cup match.

Speaking after the game, Vozinha revealed that his tears were not only about football but also about family.

“I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there. They passed away a few years ago. My mum could not be here either for a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time,” he said.

Vozinha’s emotional story touched football fans around the world after his outstanding display against one of the tournament favourites.

Making his World Cup debut at the age of 40, the veteran goalkeeper stood firm as Spain dominated possession and created several scoring opportunities. However, Cape Verde’s captain refused to be beaten, making seven important saves and keeping a clean sheet.

His performance helped Cape Verde earn a famous point in Group H and marked a dream start to the country’s first appearance at the World Cup.

The small island nation, with a population of just over 500,000 people, showed great determination and discipline throughout the match to frustrate the Spanish side.

While Spain will be disappointed not to have taken all three points, the night belonged to Vozinha, whose journey from dreaming of the World Cup to becoming a national hero captured the hearts of football fans.

The final whistle brought tears of joy and emotion for the goalkeeper, who was thinking about the family members who helped shape his life but were unable to witness the biggest moment of his career.

For Vozinha and Cape Verde, the historic draw against Spain is a result that will be remembered for many years to come.

Spain were left shell-shocked after being held to a frustrating stalemate by Cape Verde in their 2026 FIFA World Cup clash. The two sides faced each other in Group H at the Atlanta Stadium on Monday, June 15.

La Roja dominated possession throughout the game but had very little to show for it. Cape Verde valiantly defended across the 90 minutes, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha making multiple saves to keep his side in the game. Ferran Torres’ effort struck the woodwork towards the end of the first half, but the Spaniards failed to be clinical going forward, ensuring that Cape Verde sealed a historic point.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at five talking points from the FIFA World Cup clash:

#5 Spain dominated possession but were uninspiring going forward

Spain came into the game as the favorites to secure all three points and demonstrated excellent control of the ball, garnering a possession rate of 74 percent compared to Cape Verde’s 26 percent. The former also completed a mammoth total of 734 passes (92 percent accuracy), while the Blue Sharks completed only 205 passes with an accuracy of 73 percent.

However, Luis de la Fuente and Co. were unable to break down Cape Verde’s low block, only landing seven shots on target from an attempted 27 (xG of 2.29). They also missed both their big chances and will need to be more clinical going forward in the FIFA World Cup to avoid similar upsets.

#4 Cape Verde’s game plan worked to a tee

After qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their nation’s history, Cape Verde were undoubtedly the underdogs heading into their clash against La Roja. However, Bubista’s tactics worked to a tee as Spain were unable to break down the former’s stubborn defense.

Cape Verde’s backline were at their very best, with Vozinha making seven saves to keep his side in the game. Moreover, centre-backs Roberto Lopes and Diney Borges were outstanding and made multiple clearances, recoveries, and interceptions each, ensuring their nation picked up their first-ever FIFA World Cup point.

#3 De La Fuente’s decision not to risk Yamal and Williams backfired

Spain superstars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were both nursing hamstring injuries heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite recovering and rejoining team training this week, La Roja boss Luis de la Fuente indicated both wingers would play limited roles against Cape Verde.

This backfired as Spain looked underwhelming going forward without Yamal and Williams. However, upon Yamal’s introduction in the 71st minute, La Roja were rejuvenated as the 18-year-old was a constant threat down the right wing. Meanwhile, Williams was subbed on in the 87th minute for a short cameo.

However, both stars didn’t have enough time to help the Spaniards break the deadlock. Had they started the FIFA World Cup match, De la Fuente’s men could have potentially walked away with all three points.

#2 Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal struggled to make an impact

In Yamal and Williams’ absence, Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal were included in the starting XI. However, both forwards struggled to make an impact, which resulted in Spain being held to a stalemate.

Torres hit the woodwork, despite being five yards out from goal in the 41st minute, before Oyarzabal was unable to convert the follow-up. The former missed one big chance, completed none of his two dribbles, lost eight duels, and delivered none of his four crosses.

Oyarzabal also became the first footballer on record since 1966 to play the first 30 minutes of a FIFA World Cup match without making a single touch.

#1 Spain can’t afford to slip up further in FIFA World Cup

Following their stalemate against 67th-ranked Cape Verde, Spain are currently at the top of Group H with one point. However, with Saudi Arabia and Uruguay also in their group, La Roja cannot afford to drop points again going forward in the FIFA World Cup.

They will aim to bounce back in their next fixture against Saudi Arabia on June 21.