Romelu Lukaku’s Belgium Retirement Would Leave ‘Big Trouble’
Romelu Lukaku signed a one-year deal with a Turkish heavyweight in the summer of 2026, with the Belgium striker now under contract until 2027.
What we know
- Lukaku, 33, has made a slow start in Turkey in terms of goals and assists, but remains Belgium’s record scorer with 94 goals in 135 international appearances.
- He scored 121 Premier League goals across spells with West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Manchester United and Chelsea, and won Serie A twice during his time at Inter and Napoli.
- Everton paid £28 million for him, Manchester United spent £75 million, and Chelsea later brought him back for £97.5 million.
- Belgian great Albert called Lukaku one of the country’s finest ever forwards, praising his output for club and country and warning Belgium lack obvious successors to him, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois.
- Lukaku has previously rejected comparisons with Didier Drogba, saying his game is based more on runs beyond defences than playing with his back to goal. He has also pushed back against criticism of his work rate, leadership, touch and hold-up play during his years in England.
- Belgium face a major attacking succession issue when Lukaku eventually steps away, with no established replacement for their long-serving No. 9 identified.
What happens next
Lukaku will look to turn his Turkish form around before his one-year contract expires in the summer of 2027. Unless a new agreement is reached, he is set to become a free agent then, while Belgium will continue to rely on their all-time leading scorer for as long as he remains available.
