Romelu Lukaku has been included in Belgium’s 26-man World Cup squad despite a grueling, injury-plagued season with Napoli. Head coach Rudi Garcia announced the final roster on Friday, gambling on the fitness of the country's all-time leading goalscorer.
The 33-year-old striker has been limited to just five club appearances this season and has not played for the national team since June last year.
"Romelu has recovered, but he is out of match shape," Garcia admitted during Friday's press conference. "I am not sure if he can start, but he remains our best striker."
Lukaku will make his fourth World Cup appearance alongside veteran midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, whose own season was heavily disrupted by a hamstring injury. To balance the squad's young core, Garcia recalled 37-year-old defender Axel Witsel, alongside established stars Thibaut Courtois and Thomas Meunier.
Lille's forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo earned his maiden call-up following a stellar campaign in Ligue 1. However, the squad features notable omissions, most glaringly Ajax's 20-year-old winger Mika Godts, who racked up 17 goals and 12 assists this season.
Belgium enters the tournament eager to redeem themselves after a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Garcia, whose contract expires at the end of this tournament, is comfortable flying under the radar.
"We are not favorites, but I prefer this underdog position," Garcia remarked. "The initial objective is simply to progress past the group stage, but our ambition knows no bounds."
The Red Devils will play warm-up friendlies against Croatia on June 2 and Tunisia on June 6. They kick off their World Cup Group G campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 15, followed by matches against Iran and New Zealand.
