Mohamed Salah will kick off his third World Cup campaign this evening as Egypt face Belgium in the opening match of Group G. The two biggest fish in the group go toe-to-toe in what may prove to be a shootout for top spot, with Iran and New Zealand due to butt heads in the small hours of Tuesday morning.
This is sure to be a fascinating tie. Belgium are chasing redemption after an ignominious group stage exit in Qatar four years ago and a last-16 exit in the intervening Euros. They are a team in transition, with the Golden Era of the 2010s now left firmly in the rear-view mirror.
Meanwhile, Egypt are in pursuit of their first ever match win at a World Cup finals in this, their fourth appearance at the tournament. Much of their tournament hopes will hinge on the performances of Salah, who is a free agent after leaving Liverpool this season. It remains to be seen how big a role he can play after missing some of the run-in with a nagging hamstring injury.
Belgium have had injury scares of their own, with Jeremy Doku missing training ahead of this match. Follow the action as it happens below with Standard Sport's dedicated match blog, complete with expert insight and analysis.
Belgium vs Egypt latest news
Kick-off: 8pm BST, Seattle Stadium
Live updates
Good evening and welcome to Standard Sport's LIVE coverage of Belgium vs Egypt at the World Cup!
This is a strong, much-changed Belgium side from that which exited the 2022 World Cup so ignominiously in the group stage. Can they impress against Mohamed Salah's Pharaohs here?
All will be revealed! Follow along right here for minute-by-minute updates from Lumen Field, where proceedings will get underway at 8pm BST. Stick with us!
