Imam Ashour’s 123 km/h strike gives Egypt a World Cup lead over Belgium

Egypt opened the 2026 World Cup with a difficult match against Belgium, but led 1-0 at halftime thanks to a fierce goal from Imam Ashour. The effort beat Thibaut Courtois and, according to FIFA data, reached a top speed of 123 km/h.

Ashour, 28, is an attacking midfielder for Al Ahly and scored his first goal for Egypt in his 31st appearance for the national team. He comes from a footballing family and began in the youth system of Ghazl El Mahalla, where he once trained with older age groups and even considered quitting after youth coaches overlooked him.

He eventually broke into the senior side and emerged as one of Egypt’s brightest prospects. In 2019 he signed for Zamalek, where he won domestic trophies and earned a place in the national team. He later had a brief spell in Europe with Denmark’s Midtjylland before returning to Egypt in 2023 in a controversial move to Zamalek’s fierce rivals, Al Ahly.

At Al Ahly, Ashour’s scoring form helped lift him to the top tier of Egyptian football. Despite recurring injuries, he finished as the Egyptian league’s top scorer in the 2024/25 season. The story was published on June 15, 2026, at 22:54.