Garcia looks forward to facing Salah again, but vows to be rivals on the pitch

Belgium's national team coach Rudi Garcia expressed his pleasure at reuniting with Mohamed Salah, a player he managed during his time at Roma. "I'm happy to see 'Mo' again, after working together at Roma. He's a great footballer, but also a fantastic person," Garcia stated during a press conference on the eve of their World Cup 2026 opener against Egypt.

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I'm happy to see 'Mo' again, after working together at Roma. He's a great footballer, but also a fantastic person. I will hug him, but once the match starts we will be rivals.

Garcia, who will be making his World Cup coaching debut at 62, views the match as a significant encounter. "We would like to win the group, and a victory against Egypt would be a first step," he said, though he downplayed the idea of it being a decisive game. "If we win, we won't have done anything yet; with a loss, we won't have lost anything either."

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We would like to win the group, and a victory against Egypt would be a first step.

He also cautioned against drawing parallels between Belgium's recent 5-0 friendly victory over Tunisia and the upcoming match. "Tunisia is not Egypt, and vice versa. Both are strong in transition, but you can't compare a friendly with a World Cup match," Garcia explained. While acknowledging Egypt's strong players like Marmoush and Salah, he stressed Belgium's focus on their own game. "We will do everything possible to get the three points," he added.

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Tunisia is not Egypt, and vice versa. Both are strong in transition, but you can't compare a friendly with a World Cup match.

Reflecting on his personal journey, Garcia called the World Cup "the holy grail for a coach" after extensive club experience. He noted Egypt's strong performance in the Africa Cup of Nations and their competitive matches against Spain and Brazil, highlighting the need for Belgium to be prepared and concentrated.

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With Marmoush and Salah, Egypt has great players, but we focus on ourselves and our strengths. We will do everything possible to get the three points.