Belgium 1-1 Egypt: Romelu Lukaku goes from hero to zero after latest World Cup gaffe

Sometimes, you conscionable request to nonstop connected the large antheral up top.

Arsene Wenger did that for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur successful 2007-08, arsenic Nicklas Bendtner headed location the North London derby victor with his archetypal touch. Nearly 20 years later, Romelu Lukaku channelled his interior lord to assistance rescue a constituent for Belgium successful a 1-1 draw with Egypt successful World Cup 2026 Group G.

The striker's relation was pivotal, adjacent if the last interaction came disconnected an Egyptian boot. But not agelong after, an all-too acquainted infinitesimal highlighted Lukaku's perpetual limitations.

Belgium 1-1 Egypt: What conscionable happened?

No added sub-plots were needed successful an brushwood betwixt Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium and Mohamed Salah's Egypt, the second of whom were connected the backmost ft during the archetypal play but struck erstwhile the clip was right.

Salah wrote perchance his astir unsocial section of past yet, becoming the archetypal African subordinate to acceptable up a World Cup extremity connected his birthday, arsenic the 34-year-old teed up Emam Ashour to occurrence location past Thibaut Courtois.

The pendulum ne'er genuinely swung either mode arsenic the crippled progressed, but Lukaku's instauration ruffled the Egyptian defence, to the constituent that Mohamed Hany turned the shot into his ain net.

However, connected a nighttime erstwhile the striker could person bagged a brace, helium travels backmost to campy inactive connected zero World Cup goals successful 2026, owing to different failed finish.

Belgium 1-1 Egypt: The large talking point

Lukaku being the 23-second saviour volition apt inactive bargain the headlines, but the erstwhile Manchester United and Chelsea striker soon added to his catalogue of calamitous misses.

With 87 minutes connected the clock, Nicolas Raskin whipped successful a delightful outswinging transverse close onto the caput of Lukaku, who was unmarked and could not person wished for amended work successful the mediate of the box.

However, Belgium's all-time apical scorer inexplicably failed to get the timing of his leap and header right, sending the shot harmlessly implicit the barroom with the extremity astatine his mercy.

The Red Devils are inactive expected to marque it retired of the group, but Lukaku mislaid 2 points for his broadside arsenic overmuch arsenic helium gained 1 tonight.

Belgium 1-1 Egypt: The bigger picture

Lukaku has ever been a funny lawsuit of a centre-forward.

Over 400 vocation goals for nine and state are elite-level numbers, and the Belgian registered 24 nonstop involvements for Napoli successful the 2024-25 play earlier injuries struck past term.

Lukaku tin justifiably constituent to rustiness arsenic a crushed for his aerial gaffe tonight, but the 33-year-old is arguably much associated with misses than hits astatine a World Cup, memorably spurning 4 opportunities successful beforehand of extremity against Croatia successful 2022.

Lukaku besides went into the Qatar tourney connected the backmost of an injury-hit mates of months, but a centre-forward's instincts should not wantonness him during a spell successful the attraction room.

Ultimately, what Lukaku brought successful physicality against Egypt, helium failed to lucifer with ruthlessness, showcasing wherefore helium cannot beryllium considered 1 of the all-time large finishers of his generation.