Belgium and Egypt will kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns on Monday when the two sides meet at Seattle Stadium. Kick-off is set for 8pm UK time, with BBC One broadcasting the match live across the United Kingdom.

The BBC broadcast team

Mark Chapman will present from the studio, flanked by pundits Micah Richards, Theo Walcott, and Olivier Giroud. Steve Bower will lead commentary duties from Seattle Stadium — known in its everyday life as Lumen Field, home of NFL franchise the Seattle Seahawks and widely regarded as one of the loudest arenas in the United States.

A pundit with World Cup pedigree

Giroud brings rare authority to the analysis desk. The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker lifted the World Cup trophy with France in 2018 and featured in the France squad that reached the final four years later in Qatar.

Walcott, who played alongside Giroud at Arsenal, retired from professional football in 2023 after a career that earned him 47 England caps. His international story began at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he was called up by then-manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as a 17-year-old — though he did not feature on the pitch. He was left out of Fabio Capello's 2010 squad and injury ruled him out of the 2014 tournament, meaning Germany 2006 remained his only World Cup selection.

Richards earned 13 England caps during his playing days at Manchester City, with his sole international tournament appearance coming at the 2012 Olympics as part of the one-off Great Britain side. He retired in 2019 and has since built a prominent media career, featuring regularly on Sky Sports and co-hosting The Rest is Football podcast.

Stakes on both sides

Belgium, now under manager Rudi Garcia, are eager to banish the memory of a group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Egypt, meanwhile, missed out on qualification entirely four years ago and arrive in Seattle knowing that this tournament could represent Mohamed Salah's last chance to shine on football's biggest stage.