Belgium Names Final 2026 World Cup Squad; Lukaku Headlines

Romelu Lukaku, the 33-year-old Napoli striker, will make his fourth World Cup appearance after being named to Belgium's final squad for the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He joins goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel, who are also set to play in their fourth edition of the competition.

Despite his prominent role, Lukaku has seen limited playing time with his Italian club this season due to a series of injuries and declining physical fitness. Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, has similarly endured multiple injuries in recent months.

Notable Omissions

French coach Rudi Garcia excluded 17-year-old midfielder Nathan De Cat from the final list, alongside Luis Openda, who has largely served as a substitute for Juventus in Italy.

Full Squad

• Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Seny Lammens, Mike Binders.

Defenders: Timothy Castagne, Zeno Debast, Maxim De Cuyper, Koni De Winter, Brandon Mechele, Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Joachim Seys, Arthur Theate.

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, Amadou Onana, Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel.

Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira, Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Trossard.

Opening Match

Belgium, who finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, will begin their campaign in Group Seven against Egypt on June 15, followed by matches against Iran and New Zealand.