Kevin de Bruyne said he is looking forward to facing Mohamed Salah again and expects Egypt to be a difficult opponent.
Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne said he is looking forward to facing Mohamed Salah again when Belgium open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Egypt on Monday.
Kevin de Bruyne said he had played against Salah for around 10 years during their time on opposite sides of the Premier League rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool.
He said Salah was “a really nice guy” and added that it would be good to compete against him again.
The midfielder added that Belgium expect a difficult match against Egypt, describing the Pharaohs as a physical and well-organised side before the opener in Seattle.
Belgium enter the tournament with de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois still central to the squad, alongside younger players including Jeremy Doku, Amadou Onana and Charles De Ketelaere.
Egypt are making their fourth World Cup appearance and are still seeking their first win at the tournament. The Pharaohs beat Belgium 2-1 in the last meeting between the two teams, a friendly in November 2022.