‘He lives for goals’ – Rudi Garcia thrilled by Romelu Lukaku’s Belgium return

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia believes Romelu Lukaku’s return to the scoresheet could provide a significant lift to the Red Devils’ World Cup ambitions after the striker marked his comeback with a goal in Tuesday’s impressive 2-0 victory away to Croatia.

The experienced forward, who had not featured for Belgium in a year and has endured an injury-plagued campaign, delivered the perfect response by netting his 90th international goal as the Red Devils continued their preparations for the tournament in the United States.

Garcia was quick to highlight the importance of the strike, stressing that the goal represented far more than just another addition to Lukaku’s remarkable tally for his country.

Lukaku’s return provides major encouragement

After months of frustration caused by a persistent hamstring problem, Lukaku’s return has emerged as one of the most encouraging developments for Belgium ahead of their World Cup campaign.

The Napoli striker had not played since early March and arrived in camp with questions surrounding his fitness and readiness for the global showpiece. However, his performance against Croatia suggested he is progressing faster than many anticipated.

“For him, it’s huge. He lives for goals. So the fact that he scored is something we’re really happy about,” Garcia said.

The Belgium manager also pointed to the reaction of the squad after the goal, viewing it as evidence of Lukaku’s standing within the group and the collective relief at seeing the team’s leading marksman back on the pitch.

“You also saw the reaction of his teammates. They all went over to celebrate with him, and he deserves it.”

Lukaku’s late strike capped an encouraging evening for Belgium, who grew stronger as the contest progressed and ultimately secured a convincing result against one of Europe’s most competitive sides.

Garcia urges caution despite positive signs

While delighted with the striker’s contribution, Garcia insisted Belgium must avoid putting excessive pressure on Lukaku as he continues his recovery.

“Our top scorer, our super top scorer, has scored again, and that’s fantastic. That goal is good for his confidence. Still, we have to remain cautious.”

The coach warned that long-term injury recoveries can be unpredictable, even when initial signs are promising.

“However, he showed once again that he’s further along than we thought. With long injury absences, it often works like this: you can be very good at the beginning and then suffer a setback afterwards.”

Garcia’s measured approach reflects Belgium’s determination to ensure Lukaku reaches the World Cup in peak condition rather than rushing him back too quickly.

Red Devils keeping expectations in check

Belgium opened the scoring through captain Youri Tielemans, who capitalised on a Croatian defensive mistake despite the hosts enjoying much of the early momentum.

The visitors tightened up defensively after the break and looked increasingly comfortable before Lukaku added a second goal deep into stoppage time.

Veteran playmaker Kevin De Bruyne welcomed the result but echoed his coach’s cautious outlook as Belgium continue fine-tuning their preparations.

“I think it was a tight, closely contested match,” De Bruyne said.

The Manchester City midfielder admitted the team is still experimenting tactically and believes there remains room for improvement before the tournament begins.

“This is a good start, but we need to stay calm. So much can still change.”

Belgium will continue their build-up with a final warm-up match against Tunisia in Brussels on Saturday before travelling to the United States.

Garcia’s side then begin their Group G campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 15, with renewed optimism that a fully fit Lukaku could once again be the difference-maker on the biggest stage.