Monday’s game between Egypt and Belgium will mark the beginning of the end for two of the game’s biggest stars and familiar foes. Belgium’s Kev De Bryune will face off against Egypt’s Mohamed Sala. Both have centered on each country’s Golden generation. De Bryune is playing in his fourth World Cup for Belgium and is aware that Father Time has started knocking on the door.
“It’s an honor for me to still be here after playing for the national team for about 16 years. So, that means I’ve done something good,” De Bruyne said with a laugh during the English portion of Saturday’s press conference. “Hopefully I can play a good tournament and do something well for Belgium.”
LAST DANCE
The clock is also ticking for Salah, who will be playing his third World Cup for the Pharaohs. The wonder striker, like De Bryune, had a long and illustrious career playing in the Premier League. Salah for Liverpool and De Bruyne for Man City. In his eight years at Liverpool, Salah won every major trophy, and in December, he became the player with the most goals for a single club in Premier League history, with 277. During his time with Liverpool, Salah won four Golden Boot awards, three Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy, and was a three-time Footballer of the Year.
INTERNATIONAL STAGE
Salah’s international breakthrough came in 2011 at the African Cup of Nations, followed by an Olympic debut in 2012. Mohammod played a pivotal role in helping Egypt end a 28-year World Cup absence at the 2028 FIFA Tournament in Russia. In 2019, he was appointed captain of the Pharaohs.
Salah has been a lethal assassin, scoring 67 goals for the Pharaohs, and is just two goals shy of tying current Egyptian coach Hossam Hasani’s record of 69. While there is a chance Salah will return for a third World Cup, the 2026 Finals are mostly like his
A SIMILAR ILASTRIAL HISTORY
Like Salah De Bryune, who worked his way up the ranks with club then country, he started his career at Belgian side Gent, then moved on to English side Chelsea, where he saw little playing time and was loaned to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in 2012. In 2014, he signed with VfL Wolfsburg and helped the Club win the DFB-Pokal (German Cup). During the summer of 2015, he joined Chelsea, and the rest is history: he became one of the most decorated English Premier League players of all time, delivering pitch-perfect passes while galloping down the field and scoring the occasional wonder goal.
In his ten seasons with Chelsea, De Bryune won six Premier League titles, including Manchester City’s first-ever UEFA Champions League title in 2023. DeBryune left for Napoli in 2025 during the offseason and suffered a leg injury in October, but is now fully recovered and ready for his swan song on the international stage
BELGIUM CAREER
After working his way up the Belgian international youth teams, De Bryune made his senior team debut during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier, which started his illustrious World Cup run. He was selected for the 2018, 2022, and now the 2026 World Cup squads. De Bruyne represented Belgium in the 2016, 2020, and 204 European Championships. DeBryune has scored 36 goals for the Red Devils, and he’s considered one of the best midfielders of all time for club and country.
A MATCH FULL OF STARS
Both teams will have other stars on the pitch besides Sala and DeBryune. Current Man City forward Omar Marmoush will play alongside Salah to create a potent attack that will test the Red Devils. Belgium’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, is a top keeper who will steady the backline. Forward’s Jeremy Doku and Romelu Lukaku have speed and pace to run off and on the ball. Both are lethal scores when given space and time.
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