Imam Ashour fires a 123 km/h rocket as Egypt strikes first against Belgium

Egypt opened the 2026 World Cup with a difficult match against Belgium, but took a 1-0 lead in the first half thanks to a powerful strike from Imam Ashour that beat Thibaut Courtois. FIFA data showed the shot reached a top speed of 123 km/h, underlining how hard the effort was.

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 trained with older age groups and at one point considered quitting after youth coaches overlooked him.

After breaking into the senior team and becoming one of Egypt’s top prospects, Ashour signed for Zamalek in 2019, won domestic titles there, and earned a place in the national squad. He later had a short spell in Europe with Danish club Midtjylland before returning to Egypt in 2023 in a controversial move to Zamalek’s fierce rivals, Al Ahly.

At Al Ahly, his scoring ability and overall talent lifted 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 match was reported by Sport 5 on June 15, 2026, at 22:54.