Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has acknowledged the strength of Belgium but emphasized that his team also possesses "stars who can make a difference" ahead of both teams' FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on Monday.
Belgium's Star-Studded Lineup
Belgium features prominent players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard, and Romelu Lukaku, among others. However, Egypt also boasts talented figures like Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Abdelmoneim, and Emam Ashour.
Hassan's Pre-Match Remarks
Speaking ahead of the Belgium clash, Hossam Hassan stated that Egypt respects Belgium and recognizes their world-class players, but he also highlighted that Egypt has skilled stars capable of influencing the match.
"We respect the Belgium national team," Hassan said. "They have big names and the whole world knows what they are capable of. But we also have our stars, and we have players who can make a difference," he added, as quoted by Reuters.
Praise for Mohamed Salah
Hassan praised Mohamed Salah as a crucial figure for Egypt both on and off the pitch, noting that his abilities are well known worldwide.
"Mohamed Salah is very important, on the pitch and off it," Hassan said. "The whole world knows what he is capable of," he added.
Egypt's World Cup Ambitions
Hassan outlined Egypt's objective to accumulate enough points to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup, describing this as their clear ambition and expectation.
"We are trying to get enough points to get to that next stage, and this is our ambition and this is what we expect from ourselves," Hassan said.
Historical Edge
Although Belgium enters the match as strong favorites, Egypt holds an advantage in past meetings, having won three of their four head-to-head encounters, including the most recent clash in 2022.
