Romelu Lukaku watched Belgium’s defeat to France from the bench, another quiet night for a record scorer now fighting for rhythm at club level. The 33-year-old did not play in the 1-0 loss on 28 September, having also remained unused in Belgium’s 2-0 defeat in Italy three days earlier.
The move
Belgium coach Mark van Bommel chose Matias Fernandez-Pardo rather than Lukaku when Charles De Ketelaere was replaced in the 85th minute against France. Michael Olise scored for the French two minutes later.
Van Bommel said the tactical circumstances had dictated his decision. Belgium were sitting deeper and operating further from the opposition goal, he explained, so the side required pace, direct running and width for transitions.
The coach insisted that Lukaku’s lack of a recent full match should not define his place in the squad, stressing that the striker retains “enormous qualities”.
Yet Lukaku’s position is under closer examination than that of Thomas Meunier, who was left out of Van Bommel’s 28-man selection. Belgium’s all-time leading scorer has 93 goals from 133 international appearances, but his club minutes have become limited at Fenerbahçe.
Vedat Muriqi has established himself as the Turkish club’s first-choice centre-forward, scoring six times in six league matches. Lukaku is still waiting for his first goal and has started only twice across the last 15 months, following an almost blank 2025-26 campaign at Napoli because of muscular problems.
Van Bommel said he travelled to Istanbul to speak with Lukaku privately and that the pair remain in regular contact by FaceTime. The Belgium manager said the forward understood why speed had been preferred late on against France, and described him as fully committed despite his reduced role at Fenerbahçe.
“He has been at major clubs, faced strong competition and had periods without much playing time,” Van Bommel said. “He knows how to handle that.”
The French season around it
France’s narrow victory over Belgium formed part of a difficult international window for Lukaku, who had been a productive substitute under Rudi Garcia at the World Cup, where he scored three goals.
His absence against Les Bleus raised a wider question around Belgium’s generational change. Van Bommel has built his side around a 4-3-3, high pressing and collective work without the ball, while Lukaku’s athletic intensity is being scrutinised at 33.
The coach nevertheless believes the veteran offers a different kind of threat from De Ketelaere. Lukaku’s ability to receive with his back to goal and occupy defenders can reshape Belgium’s attacking play inside the penalty area.
Van Bommel said Lukaku is exceptionally reliable when chances arrive in the box, adding that the striker needs more minutes in Turkey to recover his sharpness. He also made clear that the forward must meet the same collective demands as the rest of the squad.
Belgium host Turkey in Liège on Friday at 20:45 in a match they need to win. It could offer Lukaku an opportunity to show that his international role has been delayed rather than diminished.
