Romelu Lukaku Included in Belgium’s World Cup Squad Despite Injury Concerns

Romelu Lukaku has officially been named in Belgium’s World Cup squad, even as national team manager Rudi Garcia publicly acknowledges that the veteran striker is currently “out of shape.”

The Napoli forward, who recently celebrated his 33rd birthday, has faced a challenging 2025-26 domestic season. Plagued by a persistent hamstring injury, Lukaku has spent the last two months rehabilitating in Belgium. He has managed a mere seven substitute appearances this season, clocking just 69 minutes of competitive football since early March.

The Race Against Time

Despite his lack of match fitness, Lukaku’s historical importance to the Belgian national team is undeniable. As the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer—boasting 89 goals across 124 caps—his presence remains highly valued. His last appearance for the Red Devils was nearly a year ago against Wales.

Manager Rudi Garcia was candid about the striker’s physical condition heading into the tournament.

“Romelu has recovered, but he’s out of shape, and I’m not sure he’ll be able to start the matches,” Garcia stated. “But he’s our best striker, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer. We have five weeks to get him back to full fitness so that little by little he can help the team.”

This tournament will mark the fourth consecutive World Cup appearance for Lukaku, alongside a seasoned core of Belgian veterans including Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, and Axel Witsel.

Squad Shake-Ups: Fernandez-Pardo In, Openda Out

To mitigate the risks surrounding Lukaku’s fitness, Garcia has called up Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo as an attacking contingency. The 21-year-old recently pledged his international allegiance back to Belgium. Born in Brussels to Italian and Spanish parents, he briefly switched his allegiance to Spain in 2025 but never made a senior appearance.

Fernandez-Pardo’s inclusion comes at the expense of Juventus forward Lois Openda, who has struggled for regular playing time this season. Meanwhile, Sporting defender Zeno Debast has secured his spot on the roster despite suffering a recent training ground injury.

Belgium is drawn into Group G and will face Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, with their fixtures set to take place across the United States and Canada.

Official Belgium World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers:

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Senne Lammens (Manchester United)
Mike Penders (Racing Strasbourg)

Defenders:

Timothy Castagne (Fulham)
Zeno Debast (Sporting)
Maxim de Cuyper (Brighton)
Koni de Winter (AC Milan)
Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge)
Thomas Meunier (Lille)
Nathan Ngoy (Lille)
Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge)
Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Midfielders:

Kevin de Bruyne (Napoli)
Amadou Onana (Aston Villa)
Nicolas Raskin (Rangers)
Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa)
Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
Axel Witsel (Girona)

Forwards:

Charles de Ketelaere (Atalanta)
Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)
Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille)
Romelu Lukaku (Napoli)
Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica)
Diego Moreira (Strasbourg)
Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan)
Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)

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