Romelu Lukaku is a throwback to simpler times when all a striker needed to do was score goals. They would hang around near the centre line, saving their energy, for most of the game and then suddenly strike when the opportunity presented itself.
It requires a certain amount of zen to do that; a certain amount of belief to do that and these days, a certain kind of coach to allow you to do that. But for most of the game against Egypt, Belgium lacked that focal point up front.
Egypt looked like they had the handle on Belgium. Jeremy Doku was being double-teamed or even triple-teamed every time he got the ball. The instructions were clear: stop him before he starts to run. The others were being out hustled and the odd brilliant ball from Kevin de Bruyne would catch them out but they would recover quickly enough.
That is when Rudi Garcia, the head coach of Belgium, finally turned to Lukaku. The Frenchman took charge of the squad prior to the FIFA World Cup campaign and is tasked with managing a transitional roster that blends the nation’s veteran players with new talent.
Belgium’s Old Guard had a wonderful run on the international scene but for all their talent, the big trophies eluded them. Now, just a few of them remain and the dream seems to be dying.
But exactly twenty seconds after his second-half introduction, Lukaku strode into the box to meet a Meunier cross, his presence led Mohamed Hany to poke it past his keeper Mostafa Shoubir.
His size (6’3”, 210 pounds) and physicality make him hard to ignore, presenting defenders with a very different kind of problem. By charging into the box, he demanded the attention of the defenders and that led to the goal.
Injuries limited Lukaku to just five Serie A appearances last season and many thought the 33-year-old would be woefully short of game time. But Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, knows a thing or two about scoring goals and his muscle memory — which is sometimes mocked for missing as many as he scores — still allows him to get into the right positions.
That goal ends a run of 325 minutes of World Cup football for Belgium without scoring, since Michy Batshuayi’s goal in their opening group stage game at Qatar 2022. Suddenly, Belgium seemed to find themselves again.
Lukaku’s presence seemed to stir something in Kevin de Bruyne too. A sense of familiarity seemed to exude — with both knowing exactly what the other is likely to do. This can sometimes be hard to find in the national setups but these two have played together for a long, long time.
As Lukaku took the field, the commentators were speaking about how, in Europe, he was second only to Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of international goals scored. And then, it seemed like just a few seconds later he had added to it. Although it was later ruled an own goal, 90 goals in 127 matches is a record to be envied.
Speaking on SKY TV, Gary Neville made the point too.
“Romelu Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time record goalscorer — 90 goals in 127 caps, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo among European internationals. That’s not just numbers, that’s legacy.
You bring him on in a World Cup opener like this and he becomes the focal point the team has been crying out for. His presence — that physicality, the hold-up play, the aerial threat — it changes the dynamic instantly, gives everyone else belief.
“This match has been a proper roller coaster: Egypt come out and hit them with a worldie from Ashour early on, Belgium dominate possession but look frustrated, then Lukaku comes off the bench and within moments it’s 1-1. That’s what big players do in big tournaments. You can’t ignore him.”
There is no denying that Lukaku misses plenty of chances too. That is what he does — he is the player who has squandered the most clear-cut chances (8) in the FIFA World Cup since his last goal in the tournament (vs Tunisia – 2018). But he is a threat at all times.
Going forward, the question ahead of Belgium will be to figure out how to use him. With heat being a factor, teams clearly have to battle fatigue question in the second half. Is that the best time to introduce Lukaku or should they throw him into the mix early and force the defenders to tire themselves out even earlier?
The other two teams in Group G are Iran and New Zealand and Belgium should fancy their chances against them. They don’t want to look too far ahead, but it should help them understand exactly how they want to use Lukaku before the knockout rounds.
