Ahl Us Sunnah wal Jammah

First sujood by goalscorer in World Cup.

In their Group G opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Egyptian midfielder Emam Ashour gave Egypt the lead against Belgium before performing sujood on the pitch — marking the first time a Muslim goalscorer has done so at this tournament.

Ashour's act of Sujud al-Shukr (the Prostration of Thankfulness) — a gesture of gratitude to Allah — came as Egypt took an early lead, though Belgium fought back to earn a 1-1 draw.

Every nation’s flag on the ground… except one.

Unlike the standard World Cup pre-match ceremony, where national flags are placed on the pitch, the Saudi Arabian flag was kept raised above the grass throughout. Uruguay’s flag was also held high to maintain balance.

The gesture respects Saudi Arabia’s national flag protocol, which considers the Saudi flag sacred and mandates that it must never touch the ground or water as it bears the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith