The Spaniards in group H intend to score full points. The former Liverpool player faces Belgium in the evening who have the doubt of Lukaku and the temptation of De Ketelaere
De la Fuente’s Spain presents itself at the first of the American World Cup with a midfield among the best in the competition and the confidence built thanks to the victory in the European Championships two years ago. The opening match against Cape Verde – with kick-off at 6pm at the Atlanta Stadium, in Georgia – should be similar in impact to the one between Germany and Curaçao, which ended 7-1 in favor of the Germans.
belgium and egypt
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Three hours later – at 9pm – Rudi Garcia’s Belgium will face Salah’s Egypt, not exactly one of the powers of African football but still a respectable national team. De Bruyne’s team does not start among the favorites to win the final but the narrative on the Golden Generation of Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne himself could be obscuring the potential of this team. From the very technical midfield to the fast and dribbling attack, Belgium could be one of the surprises-not-surprises of this World Cup. So watch out for the first match against Salah and his teammates.
WORLD CUP 2026 – first day:
- Spain – Cape Verde (Group H) 6pm
- Belgium – Egypt (Group G) 9pm