Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer with an impressive 89 goals – a tally that places him second among European international goal scorers, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo – has chosen to withdraw from the friendly matches scheduled for this week. These friendlies represent the final international break before the upcoming World Cup, and Lukaku’s decision is driven by a desire to focus on his physical conditioning.
The Belgian Football Federation confirmed on Tuesday in a statement that “Romelu prefers to train in the upcoming period with the aim of further optimizing his state of physical preparation.” Given that there are no competitive stakes for this week’s matches, the forward, who previously played for Napoli (as mentioned in the original text), is prioritizing his fitness. This strategic move follows a season in Italy where he was largely sidelined, battling a persistent hamstring injury.
Lukaku last featured for Belgium in June 2025 (as stated in the original text), where he notably scored in a 4-3 victory against Wales during the World Cup qualification matches. Belgium successfully qualified for the World Cup in Group G, a group that included Egypt, New Zealand, and Iran (according to the original text).
Prior to the World Cup tournament, Belgium is scheduled to play two friendly matches: one against the United States on Sunday, March 28, at 8:30 PM CEST, and another against Mexico on Wednesday, April 1, at 3:00 PM CEST.