Seattle, June 15 -- Egypt coach Hossam Hassan acknowledged the strength of Belgium but said they also have "stars who can make a difference" ahead of both teams' FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on Monday.

While Belgium features stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard, and Romelu Lukaku, amongst others, Egypt also boast of the likes of Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Abdelmoneim and Emam Ashour.

Ahead of the Belgium clash, Hossam Hassan said Egypt respect Belgium and recognise their world-class players, but added that Egypt also have talented stars capable of making a difference in the match.

"We respect the Belgium national team," Hassan said. "They have big names and the whole world knows what they are capable of. B...