Romelu Lukaku Creates FIFA World Cup History, Becomes The First Player To..

Published 7 July 2026 · sports

Romelu Lukaku Creates FIFA World Cup History, Becomes The First Player To... Published By, Last Updated: July 07, 2026, 08:22 IST Romelu Lukaku makes history

Romelu Lukaku Creates FIFA World Cup History, Becomes The First Player To... Published By, Last Updated: July 07, 2026, 08:22 IST Romelu Lukaku makes history, scoring as a substitute in four different FIFA World Cup matches as Belgium defeat USA 4-1. Rapid Read Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the World Cup round of 16 game against USA (Picture credit: AP) Star Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday became the first footballer to score as a substitute in four different FIFA World Cup games, scoring the final goal in added time in Belgium’s 4-1 win against co-hosts USA in the Round of 16. Star midfielder Charles De Ketelaere struck twice, Hans Vanaken capitalised on a goalkeeping error and Lukaku added a fourth as Belgium cruised through their Round of 16 clash, which had been overshadowed by the pre-match controversy surrounding United States striker Folarin Balogun.

A rampant Belgium crushed the United States’ hopes of reaching a first FIFA World Cup quarter-final in 24 years, bringing a disappointing end to a campaign that had captured the imagination of the host country. 4 – Romelu Lukaku is the first player to score as a substitute in four different FIFA World Cup matches.Super. pic.twitter.com/cBmt8td6eP — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 7, 2026 Lukaku scored Belgium’s first goal against Senegal in the 86th minute of their Round of 32 encounter after coming in as a substitute. Belgium went on to win the game 3-2 despite trailing 0-2 for 35 minutes. Lukaku scored another 86th-minute goal in Belgium’s 4-1 win against New Zealand, which was the third goal for his team.

De Ketelaere fired Belgium ahead after nine minutes and although Malik Tillman’s deflected free-kick levelled it in the 31st-minute, the US fightback was short-lived. De Ketelaere restored Belgium’s lead with a header in the 33rd minute before Vanaken made it 3-1 in the 57th after United States goalkeeper Matt Freese committed a dreadful error, losing possession after rushing out of his penalty area in an attempt to clear the ball. Lukaku piled on the misery with a fourth in stoppage time. The Belgians advance to a quarter-final meeting with Spain in Los Angeles on Friday. The Spaniards booked their place in that match with a 1-0 win against Portugal in the final FIFA World Cup game of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career.

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