Summer 2026 promises to be a time for great games. The World Cup is an event that fans have been waiting for four years. On the eve of the start, the World Cup becomes the center of attention, and the betting brand GGBET is meeting it with an extensive betting line and a festive atmosphere. In this article, we take a closer look at the participants of the quartet who are already preparing for the first match.

Belgium: Squad Refresh and Hopes for Garcia

For the "Red Devils," the 2026 World Cup will be their fourth consecutive tournament and fifteenth in history. The team's best result was in 2018, when they took third place. The team also had a strong period in the 1980s and 1990s: Belgium reached the Euro 1980 final and played in the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup.

The current Belgian national team is no longer the squad that was considered one of the main favorites for major tournaments for several years in a row. Eden Hazard has retired, some leaders from the previous cycle have moved to the background, and the team is undergoing a refresh. However, the squad still includes players capable of deciding matches at the highest level.

  • Kevin De Bruyne remains the main brain of the Belgian midfield.
  • Romelu Lukaku — the all-time top scorer for the national team and a key figure in the locker room.
  • Thibaut Courtois has returned to the team, bringing stability to the goal that was missing in previous tournaments.

A separate intrigue is the work of Rudy Garcia. The Frenchman took charge of the national team in early 2025 after Domenico Tedesco was fired. His task is not only to lead the team to the World Cup but also to restore balance. Garcia managed to improve the atmosphere within the team, bring back Courtois, and actively involve young players without abandoning the experience of veterans.

Belgium qualified in European Group J, finishing ahead of Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. The advantage over the Welsh at the finish was not too large, but the team completed its main task — qualifying directly for the 2026 World Cup. In Group G, the Belgians look like favorites. This is no longer the most fearsome Belgium of the last decade, but a team with De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois, Doku, Trossard, and Tilmans still possesses enough class to claim first place.

Egypt: Historical Debt and Salah's Leadership

Egypt is returning to the World Cup for the fourth time in history. Previously, the "Pharaohs" played in the 1934, 1990, and 2018 tournaments. It was Egypt that became the first African national team to qualify for the World Cup: this happened back in 1934.

Despite a rich football history, Egypt has not yet achieved serious success at world championships. In 1934, the team was eliminated after one match, and in 1990 and 2018, they did not pass the group stage. Moreover, in the final stages of World Cups, the Egyptians have yet to win a single match. Therefore, the 2026 World Cup for them is not just another major tournament, but a chance to pay off an old historical debt.

Egypt passed the qualification very confidently. The team won African Group A, where their opponents were Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. In ten matches, the Egyptians won eight and drew twice.

The main name of this team is Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool forward has long been a symbol of Egyptian football, but the World Cup has not yet become a tournament of big victories for him. In 2018, Salah arrived at the World Cup after an injury sustained in the Champions League final and could not fully influence the team's result.

Now the situation has changed. Salah is no longer a young breakthrough winger but an experienced leader around whom the national team still builds its game. His role for Egypt is much broader than just goals: he sets the pace of attacks, draws defenders to himself, and remains the main source of danger in decisive moments.

Interestingly, Egypt is coached by a man who is himself a legend of the national team. Hossam Hassan is the all-time top scorer for the Egyptian national team, and now it is he who must help Salah and the current generation achieve what their predecessors could not. Hassan took charge of the team in 2024 when the Egyptian federation decided to bet on a local specialist instead of a foreign coach.

Egypt does not look like the favorite of Group G, but has enough arguments to fight for a place in the knockout stage. The team is experienced and disciplined, featuring Salah, Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet, and a group of players capable of changing the course of the match.