I know everything about Egypt and Mohamed Salah

Belgium’s coach, Frenchman Rudi Garcia, said that his team is ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals and to face the Egyptian team, stressing that he knows everything about Mohamed Salah because he trained him in Rome.

Garcia (62 years old) added to the official website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA): “We must distinguish between our goal and our ambition, and our priority is to go beyond the group stage.”

He continued: “We want to lead the group until we get a more suitable path, and in the best case scenario, we stay (in Seattle during the round of 32). “This is our goal.”

However, it cannot be denied that the European team is considered the most likely candidate to top Group G, as the Belgians have extensive experience and a long history on the global stage thanks to their participation in the World Cup on 14 occasions, which makes them superior to the rest of the group’s teams combined, as Egypt has participated three times, compared to six times for Iran, and only twice for New Zealand so far.

The Belgium national team also achieved much greater achievements in the World Cup than their competitors in the group, after reaching the semi-finals twice, the last of which was in 2018, while none of the Group Seven teams succeeded in going beyond the first round.

Although the nominations are in favor of Belgium, Garcia refuses to underestimate his opponents, as he said: “We have great respect for the other three teams in our group, this is the essence of the World Cup.”

Garcia explained: “We know the Egyptian national team well, as it is one of the best teams in Africa. I know everything about Mohamed Salah because I trained him in Rome. We will also face a team from Oceania and another from Asia, and we know them less because we do not watch them much, but we are excited to know the capabilities of the Iranian and New Zealand teams.”

Unlike four years ago, Belgium will head into the tournament without many of the stars who helped them finish third at Russia 2018, as Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Dries Mertens and former captain Eden Hazard have all retired.

However, there are still many reasons for optimism, with the talented playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who continues to lead the team, the giant goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who returns to goalkeeping, and the all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to lead the front line again, despite some concerns regarding his fitness.