Why isn’t Romelu Lukaku starting for Belgium against the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup?

Romelu Lukaku has been a game-changer for Belgium every time he has come off the bench, playing a significant role in getting the Red Devils to the Round of 16. Yet when the lineups dropped for the clash against the USMNT, his absence from the starting XI prompted plenty of questions.

Lukaku is not starting against the USMNT due to a tactical decision by head coach Rudi Garcia. As he has done throughout the entire tournament, the Belgian boss has opted for Charles De Ketelaere‘s versatility over the Napoli striker from the opening whistle.

The former Manchester United forward has embraced the super-substitute role throughout the competition, contributing a goal and an assist against New Zealand, playing a key part in the 1-1 draw with Egypt, and proving crucial in the comeback win over Senegal. Despite that impact, Garcia has remained committed to his approach of deploying Lukaku as a weapon off the bench rather than a starter.

Lukaku atop Belgium’s all-time World Cup scoring chart

Lukaku arrived at the tournament having missed Belgium‘s most recent call-ups due to a hamstring injury, and with De Ketelaere having claimed the starting striker role, he was relegated to a secondary part. He has started only the game against Iran, yet has still managed to leave a historic mark on the competition.

His cameo contributions have been decisive at every turn. He played a role in Belgium drawing level against Egypt via an own goal, helping the Red Devils top Group G. Against New Zealand, he scored and assisted in just 11 minutes off the bench, and against Senegal he came on in the second half to reduce the deficit in the 86th-minute that swung the momentum of the match.

Those two goals at this World Cup have made Lukaku Belgium’s all-time leading scorer in the competition, bringing his career total to seven goals across four editions spanning 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026. He surpassed the previous record held by Marc Wilmots, who had tallied five goals between his two goals in 1998 and three in 2002.