Belgium have included star striker Romelu Lukaku in their World Cup squad, a notable gamble by head coach Rudi Garcia given the forward has played just one hour of competitive football this season. The 33-year-old, who turned 33 this week, has been sidelined for most of the campaign due to a hamstring injury and has made only seven substitute appearances for Napoli, scoring once in February.
Garcia's Gamble on Lukaku
Despite Lukaku's limited game time, Garcia has opted to rely on the nation's all-time leading scorer, who has netted 89 goals in 124 international appearances. Lukaku's last outing for Belgium came in a 4-3 home victory over Wales during World Cup qualification last June. Belgium are drawn in Group G alongside Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
New Faces and Fitness Concerns
Garcia has also called up promising attacker Matias Fernandez-Pardo as cover. The 21-year-old, born in Brussels to Italian and Spanish parents, previously represented Belgium at youth level. He initially chose to play for Spain in 2024 but later declined an under-20 call-up, committing his international future to Belgium. His strong performances for Lille earned him a spot ahead of Lois Openda, who has struggled for regular minutes at Juventus.
Fitness concerns also surround Sporting defender Zeno Debast, who suffered an injury in training despite being a regular under Garcia. On a positive note, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has returned from injury in timely fashion, dispelling speculation that Garcia might select four goalkeepers in his 26-man squad.
Fourth World Cup for Key Players
The squad, announced during a lunchtime news bulletin on Belgian television on Friday, marks a fourth successive World Cup appearance for key figures Courtois, Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Axel Witsel.
Full Belgium Squad
- Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Racing Strasbourg)
- Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion), 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 (Racing Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
