Was VAR wrong? Did Egypt lose the win against Belgium?

Did Egypt lose their win against Belgium because VAR didn't intervene?

In their match in Seattle, the first game of Group G at the 2026 World Cup, despite being considered the stronger team, Belgium unexpectedly fell behind Egypt in the first half with Emam Ashour scoring the opening goal after an assist from Mohamad Salah.

After numerous attempts to press forward, Belgium finally found an equalizer in the 66th minute when substitute striker Lukaku's run caused defender Mohamed Hany to awkwardly kick the ball into his own net. The final score was 1-1.

Romelu Lukaku's controversial goal against Egypt. Photo: AP.

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However, according to former English referee Keith Hackett, Belgium's goal should not have been allowed because it originated from an illegal free-kick situation beforehand. This means Egypt was denied a victory.

"It was a poor decision by the referee to allow the Belgian players to place the ball for the free kick almost 15 meters from the point of the foul. This situation clearly required VAR intervention," former referee Hackett analyzed in Football Insider.

“The goal should not have been allowed, and the referee should have ordered a retake of the free kick from the exact spot where the foul occurred. I believe that after reviewing the match, FIFA’s refereeing committee will issue appropriate instructions to the referees.”

In the other match of Group G, New Zealand and Iran also drew 2-2 after an exciting back-and-forth game in Los Angeles. This result left the group level after the first round of matches.

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