Belgium Name Lukaku in World Cup Squad Despite Fitness Concerns

Belgium Include Lukaku in World Cup Squad Despite Manager's Fitness Warning

Romelu Lukaku has secured a place in Belgium's squad for the 2026 World Cup, even as head coach Rudi Garcia openly acknowledged that the veteran striker is not yet at peak physical condition.

The 33-year-old Napoli forward, who celebrated his birthday this week, has had an extremely limited run of action in the current 2025-26 campaign. Lukaku has featured in just seven substitute appearances, accumulating a mere 69 minutes on the pitch, after spending the last two months in Belgium recuperating from a hamstring injury.

Garcia Backs Lukaku Despite Physical Limitations

Despite the obvious concerns surrounding the striker's readiness, Garcia was clear about why Lukaku remains indispensable to the Belgian setup.

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

Lukaku holds the record as Belgium's greatest ever goalscorer, having netted 89 times across 124 international appearances. His last outing for the Red Devils came against Wales in June of last year.

A Fourth Successive World Cup Beckons

Should Lukaku feature in the tournament, it would mark his fourth consecutive World Cup — a remarkable achievement that he shares with teammates Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, and Axel Witsel. The former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Everton striker continues to be a cornerstone of Belgian football despite the fitness cloud hanging over his selection.

Fernandez-Pardo Earns Surprise Call-Up

One of the more notable inclusions in Garcia's squad is 21-year-old Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who confirmed his international commitment to Belgium only this week. Born in Brussels to Italian and Spanish parents, Fernandez-Pardo previously represented Spain at youth level in 2025 but never made a senior appearance for them, leaving him eligible to play for Belgium.

His inclusion came at the expense of Lois Openda, who has struggled to nail down a regular starting position at Juventus this season. Meanwhile, Sporting Lisbon defender Zeno Debast has also been named in the squad despite picking up an injury during training.

Belgium's World Cup Group G Fixtures

Belgium have been drawn into Group G alongside Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. Their group stage matches will be hosted across the United States and Canada.

Full 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)