Belgium Beat Croatia in Friendly as Lukaku Shines on Comeback

Romelu Lukaku made a strong return to the national side, as he scored his 90th international goal to help Belgium beat Croatia in the FIFA World Cup warm-up clash.

Captain Youri Tielemans scored the first goal after a mistake in the defence, while Lukaku added the second right at the end of the match. It was his first game for Belgium in 12 months, and he remains their all-time top scorer.

The experienced Lukaku ran clear and finished with a powerful shot, helping to lift spirits after a tough season at club level with Napoli, where he did not start any match and also dealt with a hamstring injury.

Talking about the first goal, Tielemans scored from close range in the 38th minute after the Croatian defence failed to stop him. The match also gave both coaches a chance to use many players from their World Cup squads. Croatia made 10 substitutions, while Belgium brought on Lukaku for a short spell in the final 18 minutes.

One of Belgium’s substitutes, Hans Vanaken, also came close to scoring when he headed Tielemans’ 74th-minute corner onto the crossbar. Croatia also had their chances, as Ante Budimir hit the crossbar in the second half, and Luka Modric was stopped before half-time by a sharp save from Thibaut Courtois.

Croatia will play another friendly against Slovenia in Varazdin on Sunday, while Belgium are set to face Tunisia in Brussels on Saturday.

Talking about the FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures, Belgium will begin their campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 15, while Croatia will face England in Dallas on June 17. Both matches are expected to be highly competitive, as all four teams are stacked with quality stars having loads of experience at the club and international level.