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Belgium national team manager Rudi Garcia has included Romelu Lukaku in his 26-man World Cup squad, despite publicly acknowledging that the country’s all-time top goalscorer is currently “out of shape.”
The 33-year-old Napoli striker, who boasts a phenomenal international record of 89 goals in 124 appearances, has endured a deeply frustrating season plagued by poor form and physical setbacks.
Having logged a mere 69 minutes of first-team football this year, Lukaku is presently sidelined with a hip injury.
Garcia emphasised that while the forward is medically recovered, he remains a fitness doubt to start games, but the coaching staff intends to utilise the next five weeks to gradually prepare him to contribute to the tournament run.
The newly unveiled roster features several notable selection shake-ups alongside its established veteran core. Lille forward Matias Fernandez
Pardo has received his very first senior call-up for the Red Devils after officially filing to switch his international allegiance from Spain’s Under-21 setup.
Conversely, Juventus loanee Lois Openda is a high-profile omission from the travelling party following a dismal domestic campaign in Italy, where he managed to find the back of the net only once across 24 Serie A appearances.
Beyond those choices, Garcia largely avoided major surprises, locking in talismanic superstars Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Jeremy Doku.
This tournament represents a critical redemption opportunity for Belgium, a side heavily burdened by a history of recent underachievement.
The squad infamously collapsed during the group stages of the 2022 World Cup amid reports of internal dressing room friction, which effectively ended the title aspirations of the nation’s celebrated “golden generation.”
A subsequent underwhelming round-of-16 exit against France at Euro 2024 ultimately cost former manager Domenico Tedesco his job, paving the way for Garcia’s appointment last January to spearhead a fresh tactical rebuild.
The Red Devils are scheduled to launch their Group G campaign on June 15 in Seattle against Egypt before travelling across North America to face Iran in Los Angeles and New Zealand in Vancouver.
Official Belgium 2026 World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Chelsea)
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)
