Emam Ashour announced himself on the World Cup stage with a thunderous strike past Thibaut Courtois in Seattle, scoring his first-ever goal in the tournament and giving Egypt a stunning lead over Belgium. The Al Ahly midfielder unleashed a long-range effort that left the Belgian goalkeeper helpless, sending the Pharaohs into jubilation in their Group G opener at the Seattle Stadium.
But Egypt could not hold on. With Belgium pushing for an equaliser, substitute Romelu Lukaku forced a mistake, and Mohamed Hany turned the ball into his own net under pressure. The own goal levelled the match at 1-1, and despite both sides pushing for a winner, the points were shared in a thrilling draw.
“Emam Ashour scored a stunning opener but Mohamed Hany's own goal gave Belgium a 1-1 draw.”
The result left Group G wide open after earlier shocks elsewhere. European champions Spain were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Cape Verde in their opening match, with Lamine Yamal unable to break through after coming off the bench. In Group H, Saudi Arabia took a first-half lead against Uruguay through Al-Amri, aiming to repeat their heroics from four years ago.
Beyond the pitch, Iran's national team arrived in the United States for their first match amid visa denials for team members and strict travel curfews. Their campaign begins against New Zealand in Los Angeles, following a peace deal signed by Donald Trump and Iran on Sunday.
Meanwhile, FBI officials arrested Lornezo Rojas-Martinez, an illegal immigrant with a cocaine distribution conviction, after he was caught flying a drone over Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta — the site of the city's official fan event for the World Cup. He faces federal charges for flying and illegally re-entering the US after two prior deportations.