Belgium Just Called Up an Out-of-Shape Lukaku for the World Cup — And the Manager Knows It’s a Gamble

Out of shape Lukaku Belgium World Cup squad is the headline and even the manager is not pretending otherwise.

Rudi Garcia named his squad and picked Romelu Lukaku. Then he said the quiet part out loud. Lukaku is out of shape. He might not be able to start matches. He has played just 69 minutes of club Football all season. Seven substitute appearances for Napoli. That is it. For the past two months he has been in Belgium recovering from a hamstring injury. Not playing. Not running. Not sharp. Yet here he is. Belgium’s all-time leading scorer. 89 goals in 124 caps. Their best striker. Garcia knows the risk. He took it anyway.

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The manager says they have five weeks to get him fit. Five weeks to turn a man who has barely touched a pitch into someone who can carry a nation’s hopes at a World Cup. That is not a plan. That is a prayer.

Lukaku just turned 33. He has not played for Belgium since June. His last appearance was against Wales. Now he is being asked to roll back the clock alongside the old guard. Thibaut Courtois. Kevin de Bruyne. Axel Witsel. All four are heading to their fourth straight World Cup. Legends. Veterans. Men running on fumes and reputation.

Garcia made other calls that raised eyebrows. Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo got the nod over Lois Openda who has barely featured for Juventus. Fernandez-Pardo was born in Brussels. He played for Belgium at youth level. Then he switched to Spain. Then he switched back. Now he is on a plane to the World Cup. Zeno Debast made the squad despite getting injured in training. Desperate times call for desperate selections.

Belgium are in Group G with Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. The games are in the United States and Canada. On paper, they should advance. On paper, Lukaku is their greatest weapon. Reality says he is out of shape and running out of time. The whole country is holding its breath.