Brandon Mechele Starts in Belgium's Four-Man Defense Against Egypt
Brandon Mechele started in Belgium’s four-man defense against Egypt in Seattle, with Rudi Garcia keeping the same XI from the farewell win over Tunisia. The move put Mechele in central defense for Belgium’s World Cup opener and gave Garcia the experience he wanted against a side built around Mo Salah.
Rudi Garcia Keeps Eleven
Garcia named 11 players an hour before kickoff and left the lineup unchanged from Belgium’s match against Tunisia. Belgium went with Meunier and Castagne on the flanks, Ngoy and Mechele in the middle, and Onana, Tielemans and De Bruyne in midfield.
That setup was built around attack as much as control. Garcia said Belgium had to rely on its attacking qualities because it needed to score to win the match. He also said Castagne gave him more certainty for balance at left-back, with Doku ahead of him and no extra attacking defender behind him.
Mechele Beside Ngoy
Mechele’s place came down to the back line Garcia wanted against Egypt. The coach said Belgium needed the experience of Mechele, and that having two right-footed central defenders helped stop Salah’s left foot.
The selection also kept Belgium’s shape simple. Trossard, De Ketelaere and Doku started in attack, while the defense stayed at four across the back instead of shifting to a heavier setup. Garcia’s choices favored balance over extra bodies behind the ball.
Belgium’s Opening Run
The opener carried a clean record with it. Since returning to the World Cup in 2014, Belgium had won every opening match, beating Algeria 2-1 that year, Panama 3-0 in 2018 and Canada 1-0 at its previous opener.
Egypt came in with the opposite burden, having not won a World Cup match before this game. That made Belgium’s lineup less about experimentation than about keeping its opener streak intact while facing a team with enough attacking threat to punish any mistake.
For Belgium, the first answer was already on the team sheet: Mechele at center-back, Garcia’s trusted shape intact, and a lineup built to chase the opening goal rather than absorb pressure. If the plan holds, the back four will be judged by how well it feeds the attack and handles Salah at the same time.
