Garcia hails Belgium response after salvaging Egypt draw

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Rudi Garcia praised Belgium’s response after they “stayed in the game” to earn a 1-1 draw with Egypt in their World Cup opener.

The Red Devils shared the spoils in their first match of Group G, despite falling behind to Emam Ashour’s superb strike in the 20th minute in Seattle.

Garcia’s side responded well and equalised midway through the second half, as Mohamed Hany turned into his own net under pressure from recently introduced substitute Romelu Lukaku.

Belgium have now failed to win their last three World Cup matches (D2 L1), as many winless outings as in their previous 15 such games combined (W12 L3).

Nevertheless, Garcia was pleased by the way his players hit back to earn a point against a tricky opponent.

“The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa’s top teams like Egypt,” he said.

“They scored with their first shot on target, and against a side like that, you can’t afford to let them get in front, because it only reinforces the way they want to play. 

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) June 16, 2026

“The important thing is that we stayed in the game. We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is. 

“We had chances to win it, but their goalkeeper made some outstanding saves. It was a great game between two very good teams.”

Meanwhile, Egypt’s wait for a first-ever World Cup win extends to eight matches (D3 L5), with only Honduras playing more games at the finals without success (nine).

However, there was an historic moment for the Pharaohs, as Hamza Abdelkarim became their youngest player to appear at the tournament when he replaced Mohamed Salah later on (18 years, 165 days).

And the teenager insisted he and his team-mates left everything on the pitch at Seattle Stadium.

“It was a good game for the whole team,” he told BBC Sport. “The whole team wanted the three points. We got one point in the end, but we gave it our all. 

“We know Belgium are a good team, [they have] good quality players, but we can’t say it was the hardest game or easiest game, as every game for us has got to be three points.

“The whole atmosphere was great, we need to thank them, and we’re waiting for the next match and an even better atmosphere.”

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